The number of mortgages for owner-occupier house purchase fell 14% in July on a monthly basis, and 13% on an annual basis.

The total number was 58,100, said trade body the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

Separately, the number of buy-to-let mortgages for house purchase was down by half on an annual basis.

Home movers took out 29,900 house purchase loans, compared with 33,600 in June and 37,000 in July last year.

First-time buyers took out 28,200 loans, down 17% month-on-month and 6% year-on-year.

Landlords took out 6,000 buy-to-let mortgages for house purchase, down from 6,100 in June and 49.2% fewer than the 11,800 they took out in July last year.

Paul Smee, director general of the CML, said: “These figures cover the first full month of lending following the EU referendum.

“They show a month-on-month decline in first-time buyer and home mover activity and muted activity on the buy-to-let market.

“It is hard to determine whether these figures reflect a first uncertain reaction to the referendum vote, or are a sign of a market which was already cooling.

“It will be quite some time before a full assessment can be made.

“We do believe that the buy-to-let lending market is still readjusting after the large level of activity before the changes to Stamp Duty on second properties in April.”