mortgage lending looks set to remain strong after rising by a record amount during June, figures showed.

The British Bankers' Association said a total of £17.95bn was advanced by the major banks during the month, the highest figure on record.

Net lending, which strips out redemptions and repayments, also hit a new high of £6.43bn on a seasonally adjusted basis, after a subdued rise in May.

The number of new loans approved also remained strong during June, with 230,200 mortgages worth £18.9bn approved.

This was the highest number of loans to be approved since March and four per cent above May's figure.

The growth was driven by a rise in the number of people remortgaging and releasing equity from their home, while the number of mortgages approved for house purchase remained stable.

The average amount people buying a new property borrowed rose by nearly £3,000 compared with May's figure to average £118,100, up from £100,000 in June last year.

David Dooks, BBA director of statistics, said: "The rise in net lending over the second quarter of the year was virtually the same as in the first, showing that with due regard to monthly fluctuations, the buoyant trend in mortgage lending has remained fairly stable over the first half of the year."

"The composition of future demand is difficult to read. Approval numbers show that remortgaging and equity withdrawal loans are running below last year's comparative months, whereas loans for house purchase have been consistently higher, despite rising property prices."

Consumers spent a total of £8.21bn on their credit cards during the month, well up on May's total £7.48bn.