A WIDOWER who has repeatedly received letters from the Halifax addressed to his dead wife says the financial giant has taken the human element out of banking.

The Halifax knows David Bohanna's wife died six weeks ago but continues to send her letters.

Mr Bohanna says he is "absolutely livid" with the bank, which has sent letters addressed to himself and his wife with the word "deceased" next to her name.

Mr Bohanna, 56, of Toothill, said: "I am absolutely livid with what has happened. It causes much upset and distress.

"There is so much red tape to sort out when someone dies. I had to go to two other banks and they were nothing but helpful.

"At the Halifax I had to spend about 30 minutes explaining everything and thought that would be that, but they continue to send out letters."

Two weeks after his wife's death, Mr Bohanna made his initial complaint to the branch manager at the Halifax in West Swindon.

He said the manager was very apologetic and later sent him a letter of apology.

However, in spite of this, he has since received letters addressed to his wife who died after battling breast cancer since 1997. He was told it was the computer system sending out letters and warned that it might happen again.

Mr Bohanna said: "The Halifax has proven that they just don't know how to use their own computer systems. Surely it isn't hard to just remove my wife's name from their system? Every other company has managed it.

"They really have taken the human element out of banking.

"I understand that with marketing and junk mail it may take some time before my wife's name is taken off lists and systems but this is different.

"This has dumbfounded me and is simply disgraceful. The bereaved should not have to be faced with such problems at what is already a very difficult time.

"I want to warn other bereaved people that they could be treated like this."

After Mr Bohanna received the last letter he spoke to the manager of the West Swindon branch again. The manager apologised and gave Mr Bohanna the phone number for a complaints line in a call centre. The number has been engaged each time he has phoned.

A spokesman for the Halifax which has been named bank of the year apologised for any distress caused, but said it often happened.

He said: "Unfortunately, the registration of a death is a timely process which means there may be a period between contacting the branch and our systems being changed."

Emma-Kate Lidbury