Mortgage lending weakened again last month as housing transactions became more tortuous and housebuilders resorted to ever more desperate measures to attract buyers, a range of economic data showed on Wednesday.

The British Bankers Association said mortgage approvals for house purchase fell from 27,499 in May to 21,118 in June, 67 per cent below numbers a year earlier. Net mortgage lending rose £3.8bn, well below the six-month average of £5bn.