One of the bidders vying to buy 315 branches from Royal Bank of Scotland today insisted its £1.5bn (€1.75bn) plan will pave the way for a “strong challenger bank”.

Threadneedle House, built in the 1990s in posh Moneygourney, is 3,800 sq ft on five acres, and is beautifully landscaped, Tommy Barker reports

The FTSE 100 Index ticked higher today as widespread protests ahead of Thursday’s G20 summit failed to unsettle blue-chip stocks.

The London Stock Exchange hinted today that it would refuse any takeover offer pitched at £3bn (€4.3bn) after US rival Nasdaq snapped up 15% of its shares.