AIB branches besieged by share buyers

"Can't talk to reporters, I'm afraid. SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] rules," the bank manager said.

AIB was not giving much away yesterday, apart from loans, share application packs, and replies to thousands of worried, harried and confused applicants who were asking every permutation on every question imaginable.

Some branches had special information desks established with arrows everywhere, pointing to the sanctuary. Inevitably it attracted strays. One elderly woman refused to be budged as she made an account inquiry. A friend of the manager's, she pointed out.

Panic has begun to set in as those coming in at the 11th-hour open their envelopes to find an unfamiliar form designed to be read by a computer and which will be misinterpreted by some mere humans.

Even the Telecom posting box in AIB branches attracted suspicion. Applicants looked at it, read the notice, "Share application form in reply paid envelope only", and weighed up their options. What was a reply-paid envelope? Was that the envelope which came in the pack? Why can't life be simple? Better to check. One man read "employee" for "envelope", and panicked.

Some people looked at their envelopes, resisted the temptation to open them to check the contents again, re-checked the seal and finally, with a huge effort of will, let them go. The deed was done, the thousands of pounds committed, the debate over how the shares will perform now redundant.