CORRECTED-UK banks approve fewest mortgages since Jan 2015, consumer credit growth strong

(Corrects name of BBA chief economist)

LONDON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The number of mortgages approvedby British banks in July fell to its lowest in a year, butrobust credit growth added to signs the Brexit vote has hadlittle impact on consumers so far, industry data showed onWednesday.

British banks approved 37,662 mortgages for house purchaseslast month, down from 39,763 in June and 19 percent lower thanin July 2015, the British Bankers' Association said.

Net credit card lending rose in July by 291 million poundsafter a 283 million pound increase in June, a 20 percentincrease on the same time a year ago.

"The data does not currently suggest borrowing patterns havebeen significantly affected by the Brexit vote, but it is stillearly days," BBA chief economist Rebecca Harding said.

"Many borrowing decisions will also have been taken beforethe referendum. We are also clearly still a nation of shoppersand the Brexit vote has done nothing to change the fact that weuse credit cards for short-term purchases."

The figures chimed with strong retail sales data earlierthis month that showed little impact on consumer spending so farfrom the shock vote to leave the European Union.

The BBA figures do not include lending by mutually ownedbuilding societies, which accounts for around third ofmortgages. The next release of the more comprehensive Bank ofEngland lending data is next Tuesday. (Reporting by Andy Bruce, editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa) (Reporting by Andy Bruce)