UPDATE: UK Consumer Lending Dn, Mtge Approvals Hit Series Low

LONDON (Dow Jones)--U.K. consumer appetite for debt fell to its lowest level for nearly six years in March while mortgage approvals hit a series low as the global credit crunch continued to affect the economy, data from the Bank of England showed Tuesday. Total net consumer lending grew GBP8.2 billion in March from a downwardly revised GBP9.6 billion in February. That was lower than market expectations of GBP8.5 billion, according to a Dow Jones Newswires survey of economists. February's net lending figure was revised from GBP9.8 billion reported last month. The biggest monthly falls came in mortgage lending and consumer credit. Mortgage lending slid to GBP6.9 billion in March from a downwardly revised GBP7.3 billion in February, while consumer credit fell to GBP1.2 billion, as forecast, from GBP2.3 billion in February.


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