Mortgage approvals by the UK's major banks have continued to rise, according to figures released by the British Bankers' Association (BBA).

The BAA revealed that approvals for house purchases numbered 31,162 in May, an increase from April's 29,000 and a 15% rise on the same period in 2008.

"Unlike much of the mortgage market, the high street banks are still seeing lending growth. Improved mortgage availability is reflected in higher than average loan approval values," said BBA statistics director David Dooks.