MORTGAGE lenders have continued to pull or increase the rates of their best fixed-rate deals - despite interest rates being kept on hold, latest research shows.

Since the start of June nine mortgage providers have either shelved selected fixed deals or scrapped their entire range.

A further 30 banks and building societies have increased the rates they offer for fixed-rate mortgages, with some putting them up by half a per cent.

Data analysts Moneyfacts.co.uk said it was a result of higher swap rates - the institutional borrowing rates used to determine the price of fixed-rate mortgages - which have now topped 6.0 per cent.

Lenders have shielded themselves against the additional cost by either withdrawing or increasing the rates of their leading deals.

Abbey, the UK's second largest lender, is among the firms pulling some of their fixed-rate mortgages.

Of those upping rates on their best deals, NatWest is the biggest offender, putting rates on fixed mortgages up by as much as 0.5 per cent.

Moneyfacts spokeswoman Lisa Taylor said: "Fixed-rate deals under 6.0 are still readily found, but if swap rates continue to rise at their current pace it won't be long before we see the demise of sub-6.0 per cent mortgages, unless you are prepared to pay a massive upfront fee."

Award-winning Ferndown mortgage broker Debbie Boyes said: "The impact of May's interest rate rise is still to be felt, but many borrowers face even higher costs in the next few months.

"Many borrowers are coming to the end of two- and three-year fixed rate deals which were set when the Bank of England base rate was at 3.5 per cent and 4.75 per cent.

"With this now standing at 5.5 per cent and expected to rise further, borrowers need really good advice to make sure that they are correctly structured."