British house price growth has accelerated and there were signs the market in London is heating up again, mortgage lender Nationwide said, adding to evidence the housing market has regained momentum.

Banking shares rose today after Britain’s biggest lenders were given until 2019 to meet new standards on financial health set by the Bank of England.

BT shares rallied today after it made progress in tackling its pension scheme deficit, but fears about the global recovery continued to weigh on London’s leading shares index.