British Bankers' Association Chief Executive Angela Knight said: "Too often the term ‘bank' is used as shorthand for a mortgage lender without distinction.
"Banks are by far the biggest providers of mortgages and are working hard to ensure as many of their customers as possible are protected against the downturn. Repossession is the absolute final step for a bank, once all other options to resolve the customer's financial problems have been exhausted.
"The banks are committed to treating their customers fairly, and have made public commitments to approach proactively customers they feel might be headed for financial trouble before problems arise. They have dedicated debt counselling teams, offer one-to-one assistance to customers who need it and promise to deal sympathetically and positively with any customers in financial difficulty."
