Annual house price growth dips to 2.6% - its weakest pace for almost four years.

Commenting on the figures, Robert Gardner, Nationwide's Chief Economist, said: "House prices recorded their second consecutive monthly fall in April, while the annual rate of growth slowed to 2.6%, the weakest since June 2013. "In some respects, the softening in house price growth is surprising because the unemployment rate is near to a 40- year low, confidence is still relatively high and mortgage rates have fallen to new all-time lows in recent months".