Santander has revealed that Christmas day saw 5% of the bank’s online customers log into their accounts with the peak of activity occurring between 10.00am and 12.00pm.

13 people applied for a mortgage on either Christmas Day or Boxing Day with the first application coming through at 11am on Christmas Day.

The bank’s data revealed that the majority of these applications were from men based in the north of the UK, and while most were for remortgages there were also a couple from first time buyers.

Andy Smith, head of media relations at Santander, said: “It’s interesting to see that even during the festive break people are applying for a mortgage and checking their bank balance online. With our mobile banking and Spendlytics app, customers can easily keep an eye on their finances any day and at any time.

“We urge people to avoid a festive spending hangover by keeping in mind that some last-minute Christmas purchases may not show up immediately, depending on the retailer they’ve shopped with.”