Anxious pensioners swarm Greek banks

Anxious Greek pensioners swarmed closed bank branches in the hope of getting their pensions, while queues formed at ATMs as they gradually began dispensing cash again following the imposition of strict controls on capital.

The country woke up to a changed financial landscape that many in the markets fear could be a prelude to a messy debt default and a damaging Greek exit from the euro.

The sense of unease was evident in the number of pensioners lining up at bank branches hoping they might open. Many elderly Greeks do not have bank cards and so make withdrawals in person at the till. As a result, they find themselves completely cut off from their money. One of the most onerous controls is a daily limit of €60 on cash withdrawals from ATMs.