RBS apologise - but patience has run out

Today comes another apology from RBS - the banking group behind Ulster Bank and Natwest. On a day when the most sophisticated mis-deeds of modern banking are being investigated through the Barclays rate-rigging scandal....this is on the opposite end of the spectrum.

With the RBS computer fiasco we have British banks failing to deliver even the basic everyday services we rely on. Now we are told the problems will not be fixed until July 16th. "It is our expectation that by the week of the 16 July the vast majority of customers will return to a normal service, barring any residual reconciliation required" a spokesman tells me.

The problems will mainly impact on Ulster Bank. Remember this sorry saga started on 19 June and the banks bosses have promised time after time that the glitch would be fixed "as soon as possible".

They are now admitting that it will be knocking on for 30 days before these infuriating problems are resolved. Over last weekend they cleared another two days' of backlog and this week have cleared payments which will allow customers to "see a material improvement in the information they have" - whatever that means!

It remains unacceptable that this has happened - and that customers continue to suffer. Today, in the Commons, MPs demanded action. The Financial Services Authority is investigating. The bank said "We appreciate the patience that has been displayed".... let me inform them, that patience has run out!