A disgruntled bank customer chained himself to the entrance of the Treasury in London to protest against bank charges.

Victor Tassell, 59, of Whitefriars Crescent, Westcliff, said he and four other men would stay at the building in Whitehall until a Government minister promised an inquiry into the treatment of the protesters at the hands of financial institutions.

Speaking on his mobile phone from the Treasury, Mr Tassell said the protest was not the action of a fringe group but that of ordinary people.

He said: "We are not going to come out until we have a minister to do an inquiry into what has happened to the five people here. There has to be some action. We are not frivolous in what we are doing, we are ordinary family people."

Mr Tassell said the group was hoping to attract the attention of a minister such as Home Secretary Jack Straw to look into their circumstances.

Late last night the protest was abandoned but Mr Tassell said: "This is only the start - it is just the beginning. We are not going to sit back and accept it anymore."

Speaking at their Westcliff home last night, his wife, Marie Tassell, 61, said: "I support him one hundred per cent. We are normal people and we have worked hard all our lives.

"I am a supportive person anyway. You marry someone for good or bad and whatever happens, you have got to be there to support them."

The other members of the group with Mr Tassell have been named as Ken Costello, Paul Jenkins, Geoff Hobson and Keith Whincup from other parts of the country.

Scotland Yard said the protest had been peaceful and it was expected that no arrests would be made.

Vic Tassell - Treasury demonstration

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