Do people with banking jobs in London do enough to help bankrupts?

Bankrupt Britons are being refused accounts by financial services providers because they are now regarded as profitable consumers, one sector commentator has claimed.

People with banking jobs in London may be interested to hear the comments of Ian Boden-Smyth, spokesperson for the UK Insolvency Helpline, who said that he did not believe anyone should be denied an account.

"I can understand people being turned away by banks for accounts when they''re asking for an overdraft or chequebook, but everyone should be able to have access," he added.

This is because Britons need a place to keep their money safe and the use of a direct debit service and cash card, he noted.

Mr Boden-Smyth claimed that financial services providers may take such action as they do not want ton run accounts at a loss, although he believed this was wrong.

His comments come after the Citizens Advice Bureau issued a report urging banks to offer basic accounts for people who are bankrupt, noting that currently only Barclays and The Co-operative Bank do so.