Mortgage approvals in the U.K. fell sharply in December to their lowest level since March 2009, according to the Bank of England. The central bank reported that mortgage approvals totaled 42,563, down from 47,287, with analysts saying bad weather contributed to the bigger-than-expected decline. Remortgaging activity also dropped in December but was still higher than the previous six-month average.

Click here to read the release from Bank of England.