So can we expect to see prosecutions? Can we expect the Governemnt to pay for our accounts to be audited, to see if the banks have 'mistakenly' ripped us off? This is bordering on the criminal. I will be contacting BankCheck to look at my mortgage interest over the years.

caroline, Dover, UK

The way around this is for buyers to ask the mortgager for a copy of the calculations behind the figures for every yearly statement. The fact that the mortgager gets it wrong does not detract from the accountability of the mortgagee to carry out scrutiny of the transaction detail. 'Caveat Emptor' - 'the buyer beware' is an important principle especially when money is at stake.

Barry Faith, Wimborne, UK

I would like to see Building Societies and lenders use the same system as in France. Before a contract is agreed, the capital depreciation payments, by payment , is printed out with the anticipated interest for the whole term of the mortgage, eg for a 10 year mortgage, paid with instalements every 3 months, there are 40 lines showing exactly what the prospective borrower should owe, and has paid in interest at any time. For fixed interest mortgages the interest paid is clearly shown as a separate colomn and is also included. This payments schedule is an integral part of the conract.

That way the borrower can monitor clearly how much capital is still oustanding on the loan at any time. Each payment is receipted and the capital outstanding after each payment is shown on this receipt, so the lender can ensure that payments are being made towards the capital and the interest as per the original contract.

Marita Gray, Mulhouse, France

Week in, week out we hear about these "mistakes" and how they cost customers money which is only refunded only after exhaustive and in depth examination by the banks. From leaving customers' statements and paid in cheques in rubbish bags to piling on penalty charges unreasonably the banks in this country get to do pretty much what they want unchallenged. The problem is that after being caught out, nothing is ever really done. A little slap on the wrist, maybe a tiny fine or reprimand - That's all we ever see. Newspaper column inches don't change anything. If banks were actually given a taste of their own treatment, with truly massive fines dealt out and new laws introduced to curb their unscrupulous dealings then they would be far less likely to behave as they do. Until this happens, we'll continue to read these stories and complain to each other how sick of the banks we really are, but will never see anything change for the better.

Matthew Smith, Epping, Essex

I feel the banks should provide a detailed statement to the borrower showing the interest calculations. I have various interest only, repayment and offset mortgages and the statements I receive either just shows one figure for each month or in some cases just an annual figure! I am an accountant and I can never work out how they have calculated the interest. It is especially worrying on the repayment and offset mortgages where the interest should be calculated daily on the reducing balance of the mortgage.

Nadi, Poole,

It's common knowledge that all banks operate a "Differences" department which checks for mistakes in accounting. Their policy when they find differences is simply if it's in the customers favour they point it out and claw back the money; if it's in their favour that someone else's problem.

Leroy, Ilford,

Banks and building societies ought to be severely penalised for mistakes they make, and an independent charter of performance should be kept and made public.

If the public make a banking mistake, say for example accidentally exceeding an over-draft limit; they get severely penalised. So why should it be any different for the banks?

With today's technology and process development know-how, there is simply no excuse for the banks to make these mistakes.

nico, sydney, oz

If mistakes are more than 70 - 30% in the lenders favour, it's fraud. And criminal fraud at that. It cannot be by accident, the mathematical laws of probability and chance don't allow for that. To repeat - it's criminal.

Why doesn't the Sunday Times report these bank to the police?

B Clark, London,