HSBC has launched a "split loan" mortgage which lets people fix part of their mortgage while keeping the rest on a variable rate.

Customers can opt to fix 25%, 50% or 75% of their home loan for two years, with the remaining percentage tracking the Bank of England base rate for life. Both parts of the mortgage start on the same interest rate.

Rates range from 2.49% to 3.89%, depending on the proportion of the home loan that is fixed and how much of the property's value is borrowed.

HSBC said: "The loan is designed to appeal to customers facing the dilemma of whether to keep tracking to preserve the flexibility to make overpayments, or benefit from the security of locking into the historically low fixed mortgage rates."