RBS banks £4.5bn half-year report

NatWest owner Royal Bank of Scotland took the first-half profits haul from the UK’s five major banking groups to more than £19bn (€28.1bn) today.

The Edinburgh-based company, which owns the insurance brands Churchill and Direct Line, said it made profits of £4.51bn (€6.66bn) in the first six months of the year, an increase of 23% on a year earlier.