THE parents of a Wallington man with learning difficulties who ran up debts of £1,300 after he was given a loan and credit card are calling for tighter banking controls to protect vulnerable people.

Gordon and Pam Burridge were horrified when they discovered their 48-year-old son Peter, who lives in a sheltered housing scheme on disability benefits, was given an £800 loan and a credit card with a £500 limit by NatWest.

They discovered their son, who cannot read or write and does not have a job, had been helped by an employee at the bank's branch in Sutton town centre, who filled out an application form on his behalf.

Their son's story came to light last week when he was featured on a BBC documentary which revealed evidence of high street banks mis-selling loans and credit cards to sick and vulnerable people, including the case of a cancer patient who was given £60,000 worth of credit.

Mr Burridge said he and his wife only realised the level of debt Peter had run up a couple of weeks before Christmas, when council officials began chasing him for falling behind with his rent payments.

His father said it then took seven months for NatWest to agree to cancel the debt and repay legal fees incurred after a solicitor was employed to fight Peter's case.

The bank, which admitted full liability, also paid the family £250 in compensation.

Mr Burridge said: "I am saddened and sickened by this episode in our family life. We had looked on the bank as an example of good business management, a foundation stone in our society, but in reality found our local branch unable to appreciate the problems it had caused.

"In talking to people regarding this matter I have found, much to my dismay, Peter's case is only the tip of the iceberg. Other people with learning difficulties are in a similar position."

A spokesman for the council said Mr Burridge, who is assisted to live independently by its Supported Living Team, had no authority over his benefits and had not been instructed to help him manage his finances.

"In this case Peter did not tell his support worker or his family about the arrangement with the bank. Once the support worker became aware of this transaction, he worked with Peter and his family to resolve the situation."