There were 66,582 approvals for house purchase in June, the Bank of England has reported.

The figure is up on the average of 62,971 for the previous six months, although less than April’s figure of 68,051.

There was also a marked increase in remortgage approvals – 36,620 compared to the average of 33,759 over the previous six months.

The June figure for mortgage approvals is also less than April’s figure of 68,051.