As a group, Lloyds Banking Group, which includes Halifax and Bank of Scotland, witnessed the most complaints.

BBC: Complaints about banks up 59%, says FSA

The decision does not affect borrowers with Halifax and Bank of Scotland.

BBC: Lloyds raises standard mortgage rate for new borrowers

HBOS, created by the merger of Halifax and Bank of Scotland in 2001, hoped to become a powerful new competitive force in British banking, offering superior prices and services to households and businesses.

BBC: Why bash the HBOS three?

Within hours all pretence of maintaining a statesmanlike consensus over the bail-out of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and HBOS (formed by the merger of Halifax Building Society with Bank of Scotland) had vanished.

ECONOMIST: The financial crisis bodes ill for Scottish independence

Lloyds Banking Group was formed from the merger of Halifax Bank of Scotland and Lloyds TSB late last year.

BBC: Bank group Lloyds axes 985 staff

Sir James Crosby presided over the creation of the giant bank when it was formed in 2001 from the merger of the Bank of Scotland and the Halifax.

BBC: HBOS bosses remain under fire as Sir James resigns posts

The Commission considered that Abbey National was an important force for competition in the PCA market, regardless of whether the proposed merger between Bank of Scotland and Halifax proceeded.

BBC: Patricia Hewitt statement in full

Sir Peter Burt, the Bank of Scotland boss who engineered its merger with the Halifax Building Society in 2001, and Sir George Mathewson, a former chief executive and chairman of Royal Bank of Scotland, are now campaigning to persuade shareholders to oust HBOS's current top management and install them instead.

ECONOMIST: Recession is cutting into the nationalists�� popularity

Ten lenders including Halifax, Lloyds TSB, the Woolwich, First Direct, Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest all said they were reducing their SVR by half a percentage point shortly after the cut.

BBC: Mortgage plan is 'an aspiration'