AN MP was refused permission to pay the £800 contents of a piggy bank into his long-standing savings account because it came in more than five small bags.

Now, as a protest at the "absolutely bonkers" policy, Lindsay Hoyle, Labour MP for Chorley, has closed his account with the local branch of Bradford and Bingley.

Mr Hoyle, whose constituency covers Adlington, Anderton, Heath Charnock and Rivington, said: "I had the cash in £1 and £2 coins precisely counted out in a number of bags, more than five I admit. It was what we have put in our piggy bank during the year.

"But they refused to accept the money because of the number of bags. I suppose I could have given them three, walked out, given them another three, and so on, but that would have been too absurd for words.

"So I promptly closed my account, which I have had since 1970, popped across the road and paid it into NatWest, where it took all of four minutes to count and weigh the money."

A spokesman for Bradford and Bingley said: "We do not have the kind of facilities to deal with large quantities of coins but we would like to apologise if this has caused some inconvenience. Our staff do have some discretion and perhaps somebody should have looked a little bit closer at this one."