• Annual house price growth slows to 2.2%

• Prices fall 0.3% month-on-month

Commenting on the figures, Robert Gardner, Nationwide's Chief Economist, said: "After picking up unexpectedly in January, UK house price growth fell back in February, to 2.2% from 3.2% the previous month. House prices fell by 0.3% over the month, after taking account of seasonal factors. "Month-to-month changes can be volatile, but the slowdown is consistent with signs of softening in the household sector in recent months. Retail sales were relatively soft over the Christmas period and at the start of the new year, as were key measures of consumer confidence, as the squeeze on household incomes continued to take its toll".