THE CO-OP Bank is scrapping basic current accounts for bankrupts — but still giving them to PRISONERS.

Bosses at the self-styled “ethical bank” — one of the must trusted brands in finance — claim it costs too much to provide the service. The Co-op has been one of just two banks in Britain to offer basic accounts to “undischarged bankrupts”. These are people waiting for a court order that frees them from restrictions on borrowing.

The only one left now is Barclays — fined £290million this summer for fiddling Libor rates.

Robin Taylor, Co-op head of banking, said the decision was with a “heavy heart”. He admitted continuing accounts through the prison service for convicted criminals. One employee said: “A jailbird can have an account with us but a victim of this economic crisis, caused by the banks, is no longer welcome......Read more here: Co-op bank account OK for crims but bans bankrupts | The Sun |News|Sun City