Metro Bank has announced the appointment of Charles Morley as its head of mortgage distribution.

Morley joins from Kensington Mortgages, where he held the same position.

The bank saw mortgage lending increase by more than five times throughout 2013 and it expects growth to continue in 2014, with mortgage lending expected to double over the year.

Morley will be responsible for managing Metro Bank’s mortgage distribution network, both directly through the bank’s stores and through broker partners.

Craig Donaldson, chief executive of Metro Bank, said: “It is a pleasure to welcome Charles to Metro Bank. His appointment comes at an important time for us; it follows an extremely successful year and is part of our commitment to grow our mortgage lending even further.

As the thousands of customers who joined us in 2013 will know, we’re committed to offering them the very best in service and convenience and this will undoubtedly continue in 2014. Charles’ expertise and superb track record in this field will be an asset to the already strong team.”

Morley added: “Since Metro Bank launched in 2010 I’ve been extremely interested by its customer focused proposition and growth in the market. The chance to join a lender that has seen such immense growth and success, and puts the needs of its customers first, is one that I couldn’t pass up.”