A bank customer who was angered by the refusal of his branch to refund thousands of pounds of charges responded by sending in the bailiffs.

Customers at the branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in North London were stunned to see debt collectors that were hired by Declan Purcell seize four computers, two fax machines and a till filled with cash.

The branch manager agreed to refund Mr Purcell his £3,400 charges after being told that otherwise the seized items would be sold. Mr Purcell, 48, said that he was following an example set by the bank. The London Underground employee, from East London, said that he had unfairly accrued the charges while running a motorcycle dealership.

After his demand for a refund was refused, Mr Purcell applied through the county court to get the money back. In December it ruled in his favour but the bank still refused to return the money. The court gave him a warrant of execution, allowing the debt collectors to reclaim items from the bank.

A spokesman for RBS said that it was investigating the incident, adding that it appeared to have been caused by an administrative error.

The Office of Fair Trading is investigating whether banks are implementing charges fairly. Customers pay an estimated £4.5 billion in charges annually.

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