With the future of many coronavirus hit firms in their hands, British banks, still scarred by the financial crisis, are worried that they are being asked by a desperate government to make loans that will never be repaid.

Britain's Finance Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday announced updates to a scheme designed to get banks to help businesses hit by the coronavirus.

British consumers will receive a three-month freeze on loan and credit card payments to weather the coronavirus epidemic, under plans outlined by the country's financial regulator on Thursday.

Before the parcel from the food bank arrived, Natasha Cartey had just half a bag of rice and a tub of butter. She was wondering when her next meal would be.

Britain's housing market is grinding to a halt after the government's shutdown of much of the economy, cutting short a nascent recovery that saw prices rise at their strongest pace in more than two years in March, mortgage lender Nationwide said.