Complain by email, just not to Nationwide boss

The chief executive of Nationwide, Britain's biggest building society, has shut his email account after being inundated with customer complaints about a decision to axe free overseas cash withdrawals.

Customers writing to Graeme Beale merely received a message informing them that their email had not been delivered.

A Nationwide spokesman said it was a "coincidence" that his email had been closed.

But Marcus Williamson, who set up a website providing email addresses of chief executives and heavy-weight business figures, said Mr Beale would been flooded with complaints over his decision to charge 1.2 million FlexAccount customers for withdrawals overseas.

Mr Williamson, whose website includes the addresses of chief executives including BT boss Ian Livingston and Bank of England governor Mervyn King, said most bosses were generally good at handling inquiries to their personal email addresses.

He praised John Varley, chief executive at Barclays. "Every time you get a response. I even got a call from him once," he said.