Saffron Building Society has reported that its gross mortgage lending for 2012 reached a record £195 million.

This was a rise of 22% from the mutual 2011 total of £160 million.

Saffron Building Society CEO Jon Hall said the results represented an impressive achievement against the background of a stagnant housing market and lacklustre economy.

He added: “We have maintained our focus on providing mortgages for borrowers who, despite being perfectly creditworthy, find themselves in situations where there is a challenge in securing suitable products from other high street lenders.

“Our most popular products include mortgages for prime borrowers with individual requirements including first-time buyers, landlords, self-builders and borrowers requiring bridging finance.

“Our objective for 2013 is to further develop our product and service proposition, so that we can continue to satisfy the needs of applicants, whatever situation they find themselves facing. We anticipate that our gross lending volumes during the year ahead will be broadly in-line with our 2012 results.”