A leading Bank of England policy-maker yesterday poured fresh doubt on the strength and sustainability of a British economic recovery, and added to expectations that monetary policy would be kept extremely loose well into next year, even as evidence grows that the housing market is perking up.

Kate Barker, an external member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee for the past eight years, told an audience of business people in Wales that "monetary policy needs over the coming quarters to continue to be set in order to sustain confidence, and to support lending and borrowing".