'Suicide' mystery at Abbey's HQ

AN employee at the Abbey National banking group apparently jumped to his death from a fifth floor balcony after being quizzed in a company investigation.

The man's body was found at the bank's London headquarters after a corporate detective agency was brought in to find out who had compiled an anonymous document sent to managers.

Abbey had launched its own investigation after senior managers were sent the report, which contained claims of impropriety regarding contracts awarded to third parties.

Managers were warned that if the allegations were not studied in detail, the report would be passed on to other institutions in the City, sources said.

According to The Sunday Times, the allegations included some of a sexual nature.

The probe was led by the company secretary, who found out that there was no truth to the claims and that contracts had been fairly awarded.

The detective agency was then brought in to establish who had compiled the document and, according to the newspaper, interviewed a man who later fell to his death from the balcony of Abbey's London headquarters.

A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police confirmed a man's body had been found in Triton Square on the afternoon of 13 July, and that he was believed to have committed suicide.

No-one was available from the coroner's office to comment on the death today. A spokesman for Abbey said the company would not comment.