Bank giant confident of ending IT crisis

RBS Group said the vast majority of NatWest and RBS accounts had now been free from disruption for two days as it works to clear up the chaos left by its IT failure last Tuesday night.

However, it is still having greater difficulty restoring problems for its Ulster Bank customers, but a solution applied to the other two banks was successfully applied to Ulster Bank overnight.

It also said it is making progress in whittling down the numbers of remaining customers who are still experiencing problems.

The beleaguered banking group has scrapped its corporate hospitality at Wimbledon as it grapples with problems which have left some customers in limbo for more than a week, with some unable to access their wages and others facing delays moving home or disrupted holidays.

RBS Group said the success of Tuesday night’s IT solution had increased its confidence that it will restore a full service by Monday.

It added: “We apologise once again for the unacceptable service customers have experienced and thank them for their patience.”

Speculation has mounted over the cause of the problems, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that an inexperienced technician in India was behind the computer meltdown.

Frustrated customers said their patience was wearing thin, despite the progress the banking group said it has made.

One wrote on NatWest’s website yesterday: “Since last Tuesday not been able to access (my) account balance at all from my local cashpoint.

“Keeps telling me: ‘Contact your bank’. Not easy when every other customer is trying to do the same! Card and service useless, time without access unacceptable!”

RBS Group has promised that no-one will be left “out of pocket” and urged people to keep records of their losses.