Mortgage approvals remained close to decade lows in February despite a period of relative calm in markets, Bank of England data showed yesterday, suggesting the latest signs of strain among lenders could trigger further weakness in house prices.

The Bank said the number of mortgages approved for house purchase fell from 74,000 in January to 73,000 in February, broadly similar to the level in recent months but nearly 40 per cent lower than a year earlier. Net mortgage lending was stable at £7.4bn, well below the previous six-month average, after a sharp contraction in loans by the specialist lenders most dependent on wholesale market funding.