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THE DOGGY BANK THE NEW 'REVOLUTIONARY' BANK: OPEN ALL HOURS
Metro Bank will be the first to open seven Metro Bank, the first to open seven days a week, claims customers can open an account and leave with a working chip and PIN bank card in just 15 minutes. Savers can even take their pets in with them while they talk to staff or withdraw money. Its founders, US millionaire Vernon Hill and Anthony Thomson, chairman of the Financial Services Forum, unveiled the first branch in Holborn, central London, yesterday. The bank will be open every day of the year except Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Metro will also have longer hours than its high street rivals, from 8am until 8pm during the week, 8am to 6pm on Saturdays and 11am to 4pm on Sundays. But there has been criticism of its services and interest rates. Dilshad Issa, a finance expert at uSwitch.com, added: “Metro’s instant and young savings accounts are not nearly competitive enough to attract savers purely interested in getting the best deal.” Kevin Mountford, of moneysupermarket.com, said: “Metro Bank will focus on service and doing things differently. The challenge is putting this into practice.” Yet customers were queueing to open accounts at the flagship branch yesterday. Jerome Wills, 25, from Primrose Hill, north London, said: “It’s good to see a bank run on a smaller scale, rather than the huge corporations. “They’ll probably have a lower rate, but it will make a small difference. It’s nice to have a bank as friendly as this one.” Metro Bank plans to open more than 200 branches across the UK. |
DOG TRAPS RAPIST Edge Hill rapist jailed after police recognise his dog
Sean Seerey, 26, used his Staffordshire bull terrier as a weapon when he attacked the 26-year-old woman as she walked to work at 7.30am. But Liverpool crown court heard it was the animal who led police to dad-of-two Seerey just hours later. Anya Horwood, prosecuting, told the court officers spotted the distinctive white dog close to the scene of the attack in Tunnel Road, Edge Hill, later that day. The animal was barking and scratching at a door in Tideswell Close. When officers knocked on the door, Seerey answered. He perfectly matched the desciption given by his victim and the images taken from CCTV footage close to the rape scene. During a search of Seerey’s home detectives found his victim's mobile phone stolen during her ordeal. Jailing Seerey Judge Adrian Lyon said: “This was an appalling offence involving a young woman who was simply walking towards her place of work. You assaulted her and threatened her with a dog which terrified her. You persisted in your assault.” The judge added: “Having the dog and threatening her with the dog is about as serious a use of a weapon as you could possibly hope to see. “I cannot imagine a more serious use of a weapon.” Judge Lyon told Seerey, who has previous convictions for robbery and assault, he was satisified he was dangerous and posed a significant risk to members of the public. He jailed Seerey for the public’s protection – ordering him to serve a minimum of four years behind bars. But the judge told him: “Unless you are able to persuade the parole board you are safe you may well spend the rest of your life in custody.” Seerey showed no emotion as he was led down. Miss Horwood told the court Seerey's victim was walking towards Upper Parliament Street when she became aware of a dog in front of her. Because of her fear of dogs the married woman increased her pace. But Miss Horwood told how as she walked away, she felt a hand grab her shoulder and was confronted by Seerey. She told how the woman’s atttacker then demanded her mobile phone. Although she initally denied having one she quickly handed it over, as well as her purse, in a bid to end her ordeal. But Miss Horwood told how when the woman tried to walk off Seerey grabbed her again saying: “Give me a kiss”. The woman begged him to leave her alone and let her go to work. But he took hold of her and pulled into an isolated construction area nearby. Miss Horwood told how Seerey repeatedly told his victim: “Just do it”. He then warned her: “You're doing this or I'll set the dog on you.” Despite his victim’s cries and attempts to offer him money to leave her alone Seerey pushed her against a fence, forced her clothing down and sexually assaulted her, before raping her. As Seerey attacked her he made offensive comments as she begged him to stop. When the woman's ordeal was over he insulted her before telling her to “f*** off”. Miss Horwood said: “Throughout the course of her ordeal the dog had been alongside her. She felt unable to run in case the dog attacked her.” But Seerey was snared after officers watched CCTV footage from the area and spotted footage of him with his dog. Later that day as constables searched the area they encountered the distinctive dog which led them to Seerey’s home. Seerey admitted rape, robbery and assault by penetration. Louise Kitchin, defending, said her client accepted he had put his victim through an “horrific ordeal” and that he had violated her body. But she said: “It was not pre-planned. It was not premeditated. “He saw her. His initial thought was to take her mobile phone. Fuelled by alcohol and cocaine and bouyed by the confidence that gave him he attempted to take it. He got her away from the road and he embarked upon the rape of this woman.” Miss Kitchin added the catalyst for Seerey’s drink and drug-fuelled night out had been the breakdown of his relationship with the mum of his two children. She added: “He expresses his genuine remorse, his feelings of shame at what he has done. He recognises the effect his actions have had upon her and her family, as well as the shame he has brought on his own family.” She told how Seerey, who was brought up in and out the care system and had often lived on the streets as a teenager, had worked hard in the past and now wanted to change his ways.
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JUST A LIMP Cocker spaniel survives 120ft tumble from cliff with nothing more than a 'little limp'
Not least because she had only been walking the dog for a friend when she let it off the leash at a coastal beauty spot. Luckily for all concerned, the five-year-old pet escaped from his death-defying leap with just ‘a little limp’ and was yesterday back home with his owners after being checked over by a vet. Mrs Gardener had offered to take Oscar to Old Harry Rocks, near Studland, Dorset, along with her own dog, Dougie, and her three children, because his owners, Rupert and Emma Brown, had their hands full looking after a newborn baby. The 41-year-old said: ‘Rupert and Emma haven’t been able to exercise Oscar as much as they would have liked recently due to their baby Theo. ‘I have taken care of Oscar before so I offered to take him with me to Studland. The coastal path was quite open and I thought it would be OK to let the dogs off their leads. 'As soon as I did they both went running off about 100 metres in the distance.’ She shouted at the dogs to stop, but while Dougie obeyed the command, Oscar carried on running and ‘flew over the edge’. ‘He looked like he didn’t know what had hit him but he was alive. But the dog was rescued soon after the fall on Thursday morning by a canoeist who had witnessed the incident. She added: ‘I like to let my dog off the lead to give him a run but I’ll never do it again anywhere near a cliff.’ Mr Brown, 41, who runs a business selling dog products, said: ‘We were quite upset and worried at the time but Laura was brilliant and she did the right thing throughout. The businessman and his 31-year-old wife also live in Iwerne Minster with Theo and their other son, William, aged two. Steve Williams, a watch manager at Portland coastguard, said: ‘Oscar is one lucky dog. ‘I can only assume he suffered a bump or two on the way down the cliff which cushioned his fall. ‘We always advise pet owners to keep their dogs on their leads near cliffs as the animals do get excited and can fall over the edge.’
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