Rail union set to strike

Banks are still making an "unacceptably high" number of basic mistakes, despite efforts to improve customer service, the Consumers' Association said yesterday.

Standing orders and direct debits were the source of most errors, according to its magazine, Which?

Other common mistakes included incorrect charges, new cheque books and guarantee cards not sent or posted to the wrong address, unauthorised debits from accounts and statement errors.

Rail services in Scotland will be affected by an overtime ban by members of the RMT union from 14 October. The decision to ask for an "indefinite" ban by conductors and ticket examiners was the latest twist to the long-running dispute over rewards for increased responsibility.