Bank switch stopped over fox hunting ban

East Chilton Parish Council had planned to move its banking arrangements to the Co-operative Bank because it would be more convenient for the council.

But councillors had second thoughts about the move and decided it would not be "appropriate" to go ahead with the switch, in light of the bank's stance on fox hunting.

Graham Whittaker, the clerk to the parish council, said: 'The transfer would have made life a lot easier but at the last meeting Councillor Nigel Welby made the point this bank publicly opposes fox hunting and councillors did not feel it was appropriate for a rural council such as East Chiltington to transfer accounts to such an institution.'