Deposit withdrawals at Co-Op's banking arm have been lower than executives are said to have feared

Depositors with the Co-Operative's struggling banking arm have withdrawn hundreds of millions of pounds since the scale of its problems began to emerge in the spring, Sky News understands. Corporate and retail customers of the Co-Op Bank have contributed to net withdrawals totalling more than £500m - out of an overall deposit base of almost £37bn at the end of 2012 - in recent months. In a statement issued on Tuesday, a spokesman for the Co-Op's banking arm said: "Customer deposit retention levels remain within expected parameters and we continue to recruit new retail depositors, reflecting the underlying loyalty to our brand. "The bank remains focused on delivering its capital plan." News of the withdrawals - which amount to roughly 2% of the lender's deposit base, a smaller number than had been anticipated by banking experts - come as the Co-Op Group prepares a restructuring that will result in bondholders being forced to swallow significant losses on their investments. Sources close to the Co-Op Bank and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), the arm of the Bank of England which monitors risks in the financial system, said they were "comfortable" with the deposits profile of the business.....Read more here