A married couple who are being hounded to repay a £152k ‘debt’ reckon their nightmare bears all the hallmarks of the Post Office scandal.
Former Ayr United winger Ian Walker, 67, and his wife Gail, 64, claim Barclays Bank are chasing them for a six-figure debt which isn’t theirs.
And the pair, from Nursery Wynd, Ayr, could lose their home next month – with eviction action due to take place on July 7.
Ian, who spent four years at Somerset Park from 1976 to 1980, revealed: “We had a debt collector at our door and he told me that a substantial number of people in Ayr are also being chased by Barclays for money.
“We think this is the tip of the iceberg and could affect thousands more. It could be bigger than the Post Office scandal.”
Ian and Gail held an old Woolwich Building Society account, before the Woolwich were taken over by Barclays in October 2000.
Since December 2022, though, the couple have been inundated with demands to pay back cash the bank says is owed to them.
The couple have been forced to go to court twice to defend themselves against the banking giant.
Now they face the real possibility of being evicted from their Ayr home next month if the matter isn’t resolved.
View 5 ImagesIan and Gail Walker with one of the many letters they’ve received from Barclays Bank for repayment (Image: Alasdair MacLeod/Ayrshire Post)
The pair have attempted to sit down and negotiate with the firm but they claim Barclays are only interested in the repayment of the ‘debt.’
The couple have been mortgage free since 2018.
However, in 2022, they were issued a letter from debt collectors TLT to say they had ‘mortgage arrears.’
Things escalated and the Walkers were accused of using cash from an account attributed to them to make three trips to Benidorm, take in shows at the SECC in Glasgow and pay for other luxuries.
And in the last few years the couple have faced increased pressure to pay back the money – with outstanding interest – with enforcement officers at the door.
Ian, who played under Ally MacLeod, Alex Stewart and Willie McLean in his earlier days, fears more people around Ayr and elsewhere could be victims of what he claims is a ‘large-scale’ embezzlement.
He said: “We did not know about this until December 2022. The first we heard of anything was the week before Christmas with Barclays saying we owed £103,000 for mortgage arrears.
“They [Barclays Bank] gave us a printout of where the money was spent. They say we’ve been to Benidorm three times, which is not true.
View 5 ImagesBarclays Bank are a major financial institution in the UK(Image: SurreyLive – Grahame Larter)
“They also say they have records of ATM withdrawals where someone has been in 100 times and each time lifted £300. It’s definitely not us.
“We also apparently booked shows up at the SECC. Again, it’s not us.”
The couple has seen paperwork attributed to them from the bank. However, the correspondence they’ve been privy to shows an incorrect address of ‘Nursary’ Wynd, Ayr and a former ex-directory telephone number that hasn’t been used by them in 15 years.
Ian continued: “We had to spend a lot of money on getting our credit checked and it came back clean because we have never had any debt in our life.
“We have done everything on our side but Barclays Bank don’t believe us.
“Not once have we had a statement from Barclays which relates to this account, we should have been getting monthly statements if that was the case.
View 5 ImagesIan is pictured during his playing career (Image: Alasdair MacLeod/Ayrshire Post)
“But we’ve seen statements that are attributed to us, using ‘Nursary’ Wynd as an address and an old telephone number we stopped using 15 years ago.
“We think someone is using these details to deliberately cover their tracks.
“We had a debt collector at our door and he told me that a substantial amount of people in Ayr are also being chased by Barclays for money.
“We reckon a lot of people who are in the same situation will come forward.”
The couple has already spent £9,500 on legal fees to try to defend their position. Police Scotland are investigating.
When Barclays acquired the Woolwich Building Society, it was widely reported at the time that the takeover led to transitional ‘issues’.
And it is at this point Ian claims sensitive financial data has fallen into the wrong hands.
He said: “If we opened an account there must be an application form. Somebody has made up an application form. We are saying ‘give us the proof’ but Barclays don’t have it.
“We keep proving it’s not us, but Barclays just want us evicted, they are not having it.”
Gail said: “They have looked at all the pages in our passports, they have copies of all our DVLA records of the cars that we did have and we have sent everything to our lawyer in Glasgow. He’s now forwarded them on to Barclays but they are not interested.”
The Walkers are currently subject to a decree of eviction for mortgage arrears. They categorically deny having any outstanding mortgage arrears.
Ayr MSP, Siobhian Brown, is aware of the Walker’s situation and monitoring developments.
View 5 ImagesAyr MSP Siobhian Brown has been made aware of the Walker’s situation and is monitoring developments (Image: Ayrshire Post)
In another serious blow to the Walkers, in the last two months, another £12,000 has been withdrawn from a mortgage account attributed to them. The Walkers maintain this does not belong to them.
“One option is to drop the eviction proceedings until the police conclude their investigation,” said Ian. “But they are a big company and they keep saying ‘no, we want you out the house, we are taking it.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We received a report of fraud and enquiries are ongoing.”
A spokesperson for Barclays said: “We have previously engaged with the customers, their representatives, and their local MSP on this matter, which relates to a Mortgage Current Account opened in 2007 with statements issued regularly.
“Our records show the account has been actively used over time for a range of transactions, and that the customers have had contact regarding the account dating back a number of years.
“The account matured in 2018 and the outstanding balance remains due. This matter has been subject to legal proceedings over several years, during which the position has been carefully considered.
“We do not recognise the suggestion that this is indicative of a wider or systemic issue.
“Given the ongoing legal process, it would not be appropriate to comment further in detail. The customers retain the right to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service if they wish to do so.”
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Ayrshire Live has also contacted the Financial Conduct Authority about the case and is awaiting a response.
- Are you being hounded by Barclays Bank like the Walkers? Get in touch at news@ayrshirepost.co.uk