A DARWEN Post Office has removed leaflets promoting its own bank account after being accused of 'misleading' the public.

Bryan Kirk, a psychiatric nurse from Sudellside, was shocked by the leaflet in the Post Office at Darwen Circus which, he claims, gave the wrong impression over new benefits payments.

The flyers told people to fill in a form to start up a Post Office bank account to pay benefits into.

From next year, people will have the option of benefits being paid straight into their bank account or they could continue to collect it from the Post Office, with an office bank account as a third option.

But only the Post Office account option was listed on the leaflet.

Bryan went on: "What struck me was the other options were not given. They are practically telling people 'if you don't set up an account with us, you won't get your benefits' and I feel it's very misleading."

Bryan complained to the Post Office three times before any action was taken.

A spokesman for the Post Office said Bryan had 'misunderstood' the leaflet's meaning but the flyers have now been withdrawn.

Trading Standards said the Post Office's scheme was 'misleading' but said it was not breaching any trading rules.

A Trading Standards spokesman said: "They aren't breaking any rules but it isn't the best selling practice and really it comes down to an abuse of their position.

"It's an amateur way of creating business and they should have made the other options known."

Trading Standards passed on their findings to the Post Office complaints department and the leaflets were subsequently withdrawn.

Post Office spokesman Graham Moore said they had recently become aware that some post offices were using unofficial material to promote the bank account and they had now been told to use only official material.