A couple of thousand years ago it was recognised that money brought out the worst in man, see the Bible, [Timothy, 1 Chapter 6, para 10], “the love of money is the root of all evil” and of course when Jesus overthrew the tables of the money changers in the temple saying “ye have made my house into a den of thieves”, [St. Matthew 20, 12/13]. A couple of hundred years ago Meyer Amshel, (1743-1812), founder of the Rothschild dynasty is reported to have told his five sons, “Let me control a nation’s money and I care not who writes its laws”.

A couple of decades ago John Pett formed the Association of Banking Malpractice & Fraud in response to the way he and 150 others had been treated by the banks in the seventies and eighties, (Robert Owen of SAFE included).

A decade ago SAFE ~ Struggle Against Financial Exploitation, was formed by Chris Joseph, Keith Whincup and others as a high profile action group. SAFE caused severe embarrassment, with its demonstrations and stunts against Barclays Bank, the Bank of England, the Treasury and Downing Street.

In an effort to get their complaints heard SAFE bought shares in the banks so as to be able to attend Share Holders meetings from where they could be very effective in getting their complaints across, even putting up a 10 foot high cross for bank victim to go up on to demonstrate how they had been ‘crucified’ by the banks. On another occasion a petition was delivered to 10 Downing Street, and half a dozen SAFE members blockaded the lobby of the Treasury for several hours all to publicise their complaints.

However, it seemed that although TV cameras, radio and press reporters submitted their copy on the various events the editors read them with a blind or biased eye as very little reached the public by way of the media?

Victims brought the banks misdemeanors to the attention of the police, but they refuse to act. The reason is born out by Ken Farrow, Head of the City of London Police Fraud Squad, (see money.telegraph.co.uk 14-10-02), ‘Police too busy for fraud’.

Likewise when brought before the Courts for blatant breach of the law the courts find themselves unwilling to find against a bank, albeit that a blatant breach of the Law or Statute has been committed.

On the basis of the well tried practice of returning something that does not work back to its maker Elaine William’s went to her Member of Parliament, Alan Keen MP with her complaint against Lloyds bank on the basis that the Statute Law Parliament had set up was not being adhered to or enforced in relation to delinquent banks.