Customers reclaiming “unfair” overdraft fee and interest charges cost the UK’s biggest banks nearly £400m (€595m) in the first six months of the year alone, it was revealed today.

British royal Queen Elizabeth II saluted the Beatles on Sunday with a special personal message commemorating the 50th anniversary of the legendary band's beginnings.

Barclays fuelled the ongoing row over UK bank charges today after it said its annual profits surged 35% to £7.14bn (€10.6bn) in 2006.

Consumer groups in the UK today welcomed the first British Gas domestic price cuts in seven years and called on other energy firms to follow suit.