Abbey tempts customers with 8 per cent rate

Abbey has upped the ante in the current account "switching" war with a deal offering 8 per cent for customers in credit.

With this rate payable on balances of up to £2,500, the new account comes in two forms - one for customers who spend most of the month overdrawn, and the other for those who tend to stay in the black.

Both accounts get 8 per cent in the first year but the overdraft rates differ: 16.9 for the latter, and 10.9 for the former.

However, that table-topping 8 per cent drops away to 2.5 per cent on the "in-credit" account and to just 0.1 per cent on the "in-overdraft" deal in the 13th month. This is equal to the miserly amount paid on balances by many of Abbey's high- street rivals.