UK lenders approve 65,945 mortgages in April, Bank of England data shows

LONDON, June 2 (Reuters) - ​The number ⁠of mortgages approved by ​British lenders for house purchases rose ​to ‌a three-month high of 65,945 in April ⁠from 63,979 in March, according ⁠to Bank of ​England data on Tuesday that also showed consumer credit grew faster than ​expected.

April's ‌approvals were well above the 62,000 median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists.

Net unsecured lending ​to consumers rose by £1.859 billion ($2.50 billion), ‌higher than economists' forecast of a £1.7 billion increase though just ‌below March's £1.904 billion rise.

Weaker consumer sentiment and rising mortgage rates since the ​start of the Iran war in late ‌February have caused lenders like Nationwide Building Society to report the first monthly fall ⁠in ⁠house prices since December ‌in May.

Figures from the Royal Institution of ​Chartered ​Surveyors also showed drops in ‌prices and buyer demand in April. ($1 = 0.7427 pounds) (Reporting by Suban Abdulla; editing by David Milliken)