The Ammanford businessman who is on a hunger strike protest about Lloyds Bank is taking his fight to the bank’s London HQ.
“If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed will go to the mountain,” said 47-year-old Alun Richards.
Mr Richards built up a multi-million business at the expanding Tycroes Business Park near Ammanford. But he claims his life has been ruined by Lloyds after a three-year dispute which has cost him hundreds of thousands of pounds and consequential business losses running into millions.
Mr Richards said: “My hunger strike will have been going a week on Monday, so I am taking the battle to the doorstep of Lloyds HQ in London.
“I am meeting my MP, Nia Griffith, at the bank’s HQ in Gresham Street at 12 noon with a demand to see the Lloyds chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio.
“I feel a meeting with the top man in Lloyds is the only way to resolve this issue. Nia Griffith, the Llanelli MP, is also the Labour Shadow Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills so I am hoping that she will be able to use her influence to get the bank to progress my complaints.
“I don’t have a formal appointment with Antonio Horta-Osorio, but I hope that Lloyds will take notice of my hunger strike and start to appreciate how seriously I view the matter.
“I am being ruined by Lloyds, a giant banking group who seem not to care about individual businessmen.
“As long as the Lloyds big-wigs are collecting their fat cat bonuses and operating in cavalier fashion with no reference to Government supervision, businessmen like me will suffer.
“And this is happening even after taxpayers’ funds were injected into the banking economy.
“I have been battling Lloyds for three years and it has cost me hundreds of thousands of pounds and consequential losses running into millions.
“They are unwilling to deal with my complaint and we are just going around in circles as there seems to be no independent way to investigate my complaint against Lloyds and resolve the issue.
Mr Richards, a diabetic, said: “Lloyds just fob me off at every turn. Meanwhile, my costs go up as they string the matter out. It’s like battling a giant, David versus Goliath!
“I only have one sling-shot left in my armoury and that is my hunger strike with my demand for a personal meeting with the Lloyds chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio.
“I just cannot see any other way of resolving the matter. They have been vindictive in their approach to my business and have tried to grind me underfoot.”
Mr Richards said he was not yet suffering any health problems from his hunger strike.
“I am continuing to take water, but that is all. I am also taking regular medical advice.
“Going on hunger strike seems like a dramatic step to take, but I cannot get Lloyds Bank to sit down and take a reasonable approach to my complaints.”
Mr Richards added: “I have worked my guts out establishing a business park here. The farm had been in family ownership since 1956. But, in 2000, we decided to diversify, move out of milk production and establish the business park.”
The business park attracted high profile support from Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, during his visit to us in 2009.
“It has been an exciting process watching businesses start up here and grow. Some of the old farm buildings have been put to good use and adapted for different firms. And we have catering on site with a cafe and restaurant.
“It has been a positive advance for an area like Tycroes. You would think that banks would be switched on to helping enterprise and innovation. But all they are interested in at the end of the day is getting their pound of flesh and feeding their coffers so that they can continue to operate in a cavalier fashion and collect their big bonuses.
“It is a great tragedy for this country and it’s about time businessmen like me started to stand up and shout and complain. Lloyds have tried to crush me. But all I want is a thorough investigation into my complaints against Lloyds. The middle managers and executives fob me off, so my last resort is to go straight to the top and seek help from the Chief Executive.
“Hopefully, they will sit up and take notice of my hunger strike and play fair and grant me a meeting.”
A Lloyds TSB spokesman said last week: “We are concerned to hear that Mr Richards has decided to pursue his planned hunger strike and I hope that those closest to him are able to persuade him to look after his health first and foremost.
“We cannot comment on individual circumstances. In cases such as these, we thoroughly review each case. We take pride in being a responsible lender. And we cannot extend finance where we feel it’s inappropriate to do so.”
