Mortgage approvals rose for the first time in six months in December.

There were 60,275 approvals for house purchase, up from 58,956 in November, said the Bank of England.

In other official news, the Office for National Statistics reported that private rents rose 1.7% in the 12 months to December.

Rents rose most in London at 2.4%. They increased by 1.8% in England, 2% in Scotland and 0.2% in Wales.

Because rents generally had increased more than the ONS previously thought, it has revised its methodology, meaning that it has revised its previous rental indices.

The latest index is still described as experimental and gives no actual rent prices.