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LONDON, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- A rise in the British bank ratecould be one the cards sooner than markets expect, a leadingpolicymaker said on Friday.

"The evolution of the (economic) data is increasingly suggestingthat we are approaching the moment when the bank rate may need torise," said Gertjan Vlieghe, a member of the central bank the Bankof England's Monetary Policy Committee (BOE MPC).

In addition Vlieghe gave a time frame: "This may be as early asthe coming months."

Growth in employment, with the jobs total of 32.14 million at arecord high, and with the jobless rate at 4.3 percent, the lowestrate since 1974 indicated that pressure on wages was "gentlybuilding", said Vlieghe at the annual conference of the Society ofBusiness Economists in London.

Consumption rates by households, a main driver for the economy,remain buoyant, despite inflation hitting 2.9 percent in August,outpacing wage growth at 2.1 percent.

"Rising real wage growth, both due to improving nominal wagegrowth and the expected easing back of inflation, would supportconsumption growth further out," said Vlieghe.

Vlieghe was looking at a time-frame covering the next two years,and reflecting on the MPC's primary aim of keeping CPI inflation asclose to 2 percent as possible.

Such a statement would be significant from any member of therate-setting MPC, but Vlieghe has so far been identified byeconomists and experts as a rate-rise 'dove', more likely to favora wait-and-see approach than a rate rise.

The British bank rate is at a record low of 0.25 percent, set inAugust last year as an emergency response to anticipated Brexitheadwinds for the British economy.

"For Vlieghe to come out and say a rate rise in the comingmonths would be appropriate is quite a significant thing," saidPaul Hollingsworth, UK economist with Capital Economics.

"Previously you might have said Vlieghe was an obvious candidatebut this is a fairly hawkish speech and given wage growth is prettyweak at the moment it is surprising to see him in that camp aswell," Hollingsworth told Xinhua.

In addition to a rate rise "in the coming months", Vlieghe wasalso explicit that it would likely be part of a move upwards forthe bank rate.

"Vlieghe suggested more than one rate rise. The fact he saidthat is preparing markets that this is potentially going to be thestart of a sustained cycle."

Vlieghe's speech had an effect on sterling, sending the pound toits highest level against the U.S. dollar since the Brexit vote inJune 2016. Sterling reached 1.36 U.S. dollars, before slipping backto just under 1.35, up 1.28 percent in the day against the U.S.dollar. Enditem