REGARDING the remarks of Mr B. Matthews (LET, September 5) about the queues in Abbey National branches, I can confirm the same happening at the two branches in Blackburn.

It was my intention to call on one of them one recent morning, but, on my arrival at the Church Street branch at around 9.30am, there was already a queue to the outside doors.

Going to the King William Street branch, I found the queue was just inside the doors, but was longer than at Church Street. I could not spare the time to make a transaction.

On the following Saturday, there was a similar situation, only, on this occasion, I had no choice but to join the queue at King William Street at 9.20am. At the time of my entry, there were only three of the seven tills open. Later, a fourth opened and then a fifth. Having reached the front of the queue, I was the first to it at 10.10am.

With all the double entry book-keeping that they seem to do, I finally walked out of the branch at 10.38am

Surely, this is not the type of service that we deserve from a High Street bank.

As a National & Provincial customer, I never had to wait as long as this, or take so long over any single or multiple transaction as the current operation is affording. I am now beginning to wonder if I should continue using Abbey National and am seriously considering moving all my investments to another building society or bank, where, possibly there are better rates, but at least there will be shorter queues, even early in the morning.

Perhaps Abbey National would reply, and assure their customers that things are going to rapidly improve.

M D SALES (Mr), Lord Street, Rishton.

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