New figures show that mortgage lending in the UK remained subdued during April as the housing market failed to pick up momentum.
The number of mortgages approved for house purchase crept ahead by just 2% during the month to 49,871, according to the Bank of England.
The figure was the highest this year, but it was still down on the recent peak of 59,531 approvals in November, as people buying lower-value properties pushed through purchases before the end of the stamp duty holiday.
Net mortgage lending, which strips out redemptions and repayments, was also well down on the recent average.
New lending increased by just £490m during April, up on the previous month's £168m, but less than half the average of £1.3 billion seen during the past six months.
The figure was not entirely unexpected, as the British Bankers' Association had already reported that borrowers made strong repayments during the month, but it will add to speculation that the housing market recovery has run out of steam.
