ING Direct pulls in 305,000 savers

ING Direct, the savings bank aggressively wooing UK customers, has captured 305,000 British customers in its first seven and a half months.

Savers have deposited £7.7bn with the bank, which is offering 4.3% interest and has spent more than £15m on advertising.

ING Direct operates on the internet and by phone and is picking up new customers at the rate of 1,350 a day. The average instant access balance is more than £25,000.

First details of its performance were contained in figures today from Dutch parent ING, which reported an 18% rise in net operating profits to e4.05bn (£2.72bn).

Finance director Cees Maas said the UK growth was unprecedented and the average balance was much higher than in other countries where ING Direct operates.