Britons borrowed some £1.3 billion in personal loans in February, according to new research by the British Bankers' Association (BBA).
The BBA study, released last week, revealed that the total figure last month was £100 million higher than the total value of loans issued in January, and also higher than the average monthly value reported for the previous six months.
It also showed that British consumers now owe a staggering £52 billion in personal loan repayments to high street banks, while net overdraft debt now stands at around £9.3 billion following a £200 million fall last month.
A BBA spokesperson said the February uptake in new loans may have been driven the extension of the car scrappage scheme, but he added that gross lending was "largely matched by higher repayments ".
The Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) recently revealed that personal loans account for more than a third of the £3.3 billion unsecured debt amassed by its clients.






