A Carlisle-based building society has been named the best first-time buyer mortgage provider in the United Kingdom.

The Cumberland came out on top at the Moneyfacts Awards in London on Tuesday, July 2, beating stiff competition to clinch the title.

The Cumberland also celebrated a second-place finish and received a Highly Commended award for Best Remortgage Provider.

Angela Borthwick, Cumberland products and pricing manager, said: "It was a brilliant night especially winning the first-time buyer category.

"It was incredible to hear The Cumberland’s name called out.

"I was humbled.

"We are a building society based in Cumbria and to have this national recognition is amazing.

“The first-time buyer category is a very important one, it is all about people getting that step onto the property ladder.

“There has been a lot of hard work and dedication from the teams on the products we offer, as well as the personal, kinder service that’s provided when you come to us.”

The Moneyfacts Awards draw competition from large financial institutions including HSBC and First Direct.

Rigorous product monitoring is conducted throughout the preceding year to determine the winners.

Chris Cairns, head of products at Cumberland, said: "We pride ourselves on the products and services that we provide for our customers and to be recognised in this way is testament to our kinder banking approach.

"This means a lot to our colleagues who work hard every day to embody our kinder ethos and we thank our customers for choosing us."

The Cumberland, which has branches across Cumbria, south-west Scotland, and Lancashire, was nominated for four awards in total at this year's Moneyfacts Awards.

Last year the Cumberland was commended in the Best Remortgage Provider category, and was shortlisted in the categories of Best Fixed Rate Mortgage Provider and Best Building Society Mortgage Provider.