UK mortgage equity withdrawal rose to 8.7 bln stg in the second quarter of 2005 from 6.4 bln stg in the first, figures from the Bank of England revealed The latest figure is the highest since the third quarter of 2004 but way down on the all-time high of 17.7 bln stg recorded in the fourth quarter of 2003 In addition, the central bank said mortgage equity withdrawal -- when homeowners release cash from the value of their properties -- accounted for 4.2 pct of post-tax income in the first quarter, up from the 3.2 pct recorded in the first three months of 2005 The latest reading is the highest since the third quarter of last year