Britons borrow £43bn in debt binge

BRITISH consumers’ appetite for debt appeared undiminished during February, with mortgage lending increasing by its strongest amount for four months.

Also, a record £18.03 billion was borrowed through credit cards, overdrafts and loans, according to the Bank of England.

The rise in borrowing came despite interest rates rising by 0.25% at the beginning of February, following a quarter-point increase in November.