Builder `misled' by AIB

Allied Irish Banks profited from misinforming a builder about his various accounts, London Central County Court has been told. The builder is suing AIB for £160,000. Mr Gordon Lewis (64), of Hertfordshire, is claiming he was misinformed about his personal overdraft and misled about whether he was still guarantor for the construction company, London and Provincial. The bank, in turn, is suing Mr Lewis and his former wife Patricia for £85,000 in unpaid loans. Central to the case are the actions of Mr Timothy McHale, AIB's former Marylebone branch manager, who retired in 1989 after handling Mr Lewis's accounts for nine years. Mr Lewis claims Mr McHale lied to him about his overdrawn personal account, told him he was not liable for his company's losses when he was, and kept cash deposits for himself. Mr McHale is now living lives in Co Clare, where he can not be subpoenaed.