Over the last year the level of mortgage products in the UK has increased by over 1,000 from 3,606 to 4,989 and over 2,000 more from the lowest point of the market in August 2009, according to the latest TrigoldCrystal mortgage product index.

However, the greatest increase in product numbers over the last year has been among direct products where lenders, particularly high street lenders, have introduced nearly twice as many direct products as intermediary products in a market which until earlier on in the year had over twice as many products available.

David Aylmer, business development and marketing director at TrigoldCrystal, said: “This is great news for the market as a whole