OneSavings Bank has seen profits rise in the first half of the year, but added that it is too soon to assess the impact of Britain's decision to quit the European Union on the economy.

OneSavings, which specialises in buy-to-let loans, said underlying pre-tax profit grew 36% to £64.6 million, with a 10% increase in the bank's loan book.

Boss Andy Golding said: "It is too soon to predict the medium to long-term impact of Brexit on the UK economy, but we will continue to concentrate on what we have proven we do best - using our broker relationships, manual underwriting expertise and secured lending strategy to lend responsibly to customers in underserved markets."

Nevertheless, OneSavings added that its business is "exposed" to a potential downturn in the UK economy, "in particular a slowdown in the housing market that could impact house prices and the demand for mortgages".

The lender confirmed that, following the Bank of England's decision to cut interest rates to 0.25%, it would reduce its standard variable rate by the same amount from September.

The firm said it targets professional landlords for its lending, who it believes are "better positioned to withstand market volatility".