When Anthony Seale was medically retired from the Greater Manchester Police at the age of 36, it was with more than 15 years’ service under his belt.
His career was cut short during an arrest in 2021, when he pulled a car over and grabbed the steering wheel before the driver sped off, leaving Anthony badly injured.
His right leg needed reconstruction with a metal plate and his recovery was hampered by mental health issues, which led him to be medically retired.
No access: Anthony Seale was not told why his account was closed
His recovery was going well, until one day in August when he discovered his bank account had been shut. While checking it on his phone app, Anthony found he could no longer access it.
‘I was at a really low point when NatWest shut my account in August 2021,’ says Anthony, who lives in Handforth, Cheshire.
‘There was nothing much in the account — between £1,000-£3,000, coming from the Department for Work and Pensions — so entirely traceable. I’ve been with NatWest for years. I immediately thought I’d been a victim of fraud and, of course, as a former police officer, it set alarm bells ringing.
‘I rang NatWest and I was passed through to the fraud department, and they said they couldn’t tell me why my account was closed.
‘When I went into the bank and I had to say my account has been shut down, people assume you must have done something wrong. I felt like a criminal.’
Anthony felt frustrated that the bank could not explain why it had happened or even how the process actually works.
‘Is it a person who decides or an algorithm? I thought I was going to lose my disability pension money, so I wrote a letter to the chief executive, Alison Rose.’
In his letter, Anthony outlined the fact that he had mental health issues, or ‘hidden disabilities’, which NatWest has championed in its advertising campaigns.
He was shocked when he read the reply from her office, ‘One thing stands out — it asked if I had tried speaking to my GP or Citizens Advice. That told me nobody was listening.’
Now, Anthony banks with Lloyds, and volunteers in an advisory role for a security firm.
‘To this day, I have still not had a reason for why my account was closed. NatWest made me feel that my money was not good enough for them.’
Money Mail has spoken to dozens of people whose bank accounts were also shut abruptly without any explanation
Since Nigel Farage spoke publicly about his Coutts account being closed without consultation, Money Mail has spoken to dozens of people whose bank accounts were also shut abruptly without any explanation.
In each case, the account holder has repeatedly called, emailed and tried for months on end without success to find out the reason for the bank’s decision.
While most banks made contact with their customers by email, one young restaurant manager was shocked to be sent a text, which ended with ‘we have decided to end our banking relationship with you’. One year later, she has still not received an explanation.
The true cost of an account being closed was detailed by one business owner who says it has ‘absolutely ruined his life’. When NatWest closed his bank account, he had to turn to his mother-in-law to lend him thousands of pounds to pay his 25-strong bricklaying staff.
Without her help, the business he had built up over several years would have collapsed. Even so, he had to let go of most of the staff, so only six remain.
He says that, despite dozens of calls over a three-month period, he was not given a reason for the decision. NatWest promised to return his £14,000 balance in 60 days, but it took 78. Out of loyalty to her husband, his wife is closing her NatWest account.
One medical student we spoke to had to abandon her plans to do a degree in radiography after her account was closed and she was left without any money. She had to rely on her boyfriend’s savings with Santander, and says the ‘heartless act has put a strain on our relationship’.
Retired accountant William Kennedy, 73, banked with HSBC-owned First Direct for 20 years, but decided to leave because of the way his son, Gregor, was treated, which he describes as ‘criminal’.
His corporate lawyer son found himself blackballed by HSBC, he believes, after working in Moscow until Russia invaded Ukraine last year. He returned to Aberdeen and got another job in Dubai in July 2022.
The 40-year-old took out an HSBC Premier account in September last year after passing the vetting process. But his account was unexpectedly closed soon after — when he tried to deposit his salary, the money simply bounced back.
He says: ‘I’ve been transparent with all my dealings, and can assure the bank that I am no Russian spy — but no one is listening or wants to talk about the situation. All my queries are stonewalled, and I am directed to a call centre, where no one is able to provide help. They just string me along, saying they can confirm receipt of my query but do nothing more.’
Gregor is frustrated that all his demands for an explanation of HSBC’s decision (previously known as ‘the listening bank’ when it traded as Midland Bank until 1999) are falling on deaf ears.
HSBC still has more than £100,000 of Gregor’s funds locked away while it continues its ten-month-long ‘investigation’ into his account.
Money Mail gave the banks a right to reply, but HSBC did not comment, though a spokesman for the bank explained: ‘There is nothing we can say about the matter, we can’t comment on customers, even to confirm whether they are customers.’
A NatWest spokesman says: ‘Like all UK regulated banking institutions, NatWest is subject to legal and regulatory requirements, and we treat compliance with them as a priority. This may mean NatWest is required to delay or refuse to act on a customer’s instructions, and/or suspend or restrict a customer’s accounts and/or services.
‘The bank does not make any comments on the specifics of this case. Where relevant we use a wide range of sources that provide information, which we can use to support decisions and actions taken to help protect the bank and our customers from financial crime.’
Have you been cancelled by your bank? Write to [email protected]
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
