I was very interested to read the letter Capacity issue by Lindsay Taylor. I have been appointed as deputy for a family friend who has all the symptoms of dementia but is living in his own house with a care package to assist him. I duly registered the deputyship order with a well-known high street bank at his home branch and rearranged his accounts so that he had access only to what I call his ‘pocket money account’.

The bank then proceeded to completely ignore the order and treat me as an authorised signatory, allowing him telephone banking, to move his money around as he wished and sending statements. Upon complaining, it became clear that customer relations at the bank had absolutely no understanding of what a deputyship order meant and a further complaint was made; I then had to register the order for a second time. My local branch manager appeared to have some knowledge of these orders and we have attempted once again to restrict my friend’s access to the ‘pocket money account’ only.

Nicola Davies , retired solicitor, Wolverhampton