The British Bankers' Association (BBA) released the number of mortgage approvals in the U.K. on Wednesday. The number of mortgage approvals increased to 45,437 in October from 44,825 in September. September's figure was revised down from 44,489.

"These statistics show that housing market activity remained strong in October. Consumers remain confident and their incomes are growing. Mortgage rates are at multi-year lows and people are snapping up the very competitive deals being offered by banks," the chief economist at the BBA, Richard Woolhouse, said.