SWEEPING board room changes at Abbey National which will follow the expected completion next month of the takeover of National & Provincial Building Society, were announced by the bank yesterday. One of the key moves is the appointment of Mr Charles Toner, currently managing director of its retail division, as group deputy chief executive.

The chairman, Lord Tugendhat, said that the new position would ensure continuity of management up until and immediately after chief executive Mr Peter Birch's planned retirement in April 1998 when he will have reached 60.