A MAN plans to sue a bank over claims he was repeatedly harassed about an unpaid debt.

Keith Hall, 38, said he contemplated suicide after being bombarded by phone calls from Lloyds TSB collection centre, in Southend.

The paint sprayer, from Malvern, in Worcestershire, claimed he received as many as six calls a day, as well as letters and text messages demanding settlement of his £6,000 debt.

This was despite him arranging a repayment plan to sort out the money he owed. He said: "In the end, I just thought, I can't go on like this', and seriously considered suicide.

"It was only the thought of my nine-year-old son that saved me.

"I feel on the edge of a breakdown.

"I think it is time people realised how these banks can behave towards customers, and how it can affect people who have done absolutely nothing wrong."

Amy Waldron, media relations manager for Lloyds TSB, said: "It is never our intention to cause distress to customers, especially those experiencing financial difficulties.

"We could have been more co-ordinated in our approach to Mr Hall.

"The number of times we tried, unsuccessfully, to contact him was exacerbated because he wouldn't talk to us, so we weren't able to understand the position he was in.

"We would always encourage customers to talk to us directly if they are in trouble, as it is certainly our aim to help, not become part of the problem."