New figures on consumer credit and mortgage lending show the economy continues to perform robustly despite a slowing international economy.

The Bank of England said on Monday that consumer credit grew by £1.5 billion or 1.1 per cent in September, compared with a slower rise of 0.9 per cent in August. The 12 month comparison shows consumer credit was up 12.9 per cent on the year.

Separate figures showed growth in mortgage lending also remained strong. Demand for mortgages rose by £4.5 billion or 0.8 per cent in September, with the annual rise standing at 10.1 per cent, accelerating from the 9.9 per cent annual growth rate seen the previous month.

However, the number of new loans approved dropped to 102,000 from 113,000 in August.

The figures suggest consumer confident has not been badly hit by the events of September 11, though there have been concerns that high levels of consumer debt could prove unsustainable if unemployment rises or the Bank of England begins to increase interest rates next year.