Blizzards 'hobble mortgages drive'

January's snow put the brakes on the growing momentum in the mortgage market after the first fall in the number of home loans since September, according to the British Bankers' Association. Lenders made 32,288 loans for home purchase, down 3.4 per cent on December. Its director David Dooks said: "January's severe weather impacted adversely on an already subdued picture."