LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - British lenders approved the highest number of mortgages for house purchase since June last month, though fewer than economists had been expecting, Bank of England data showed on Tuesday.

The BoE said 50,459 mortgages were approved in December, up from a downwardly revised 49,313 in November but below economists' forecast of 52,500 in a Reuters poll. (Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Sarah Young)