In Western Australia a class action against the ANZ is likely go ahead unless the bank is prepared to come to the table. An ANZ spokesman said: "Taking possession of a farm is always the last option after all other avenues, including farm debt mediation, have been exhausted and we work with farming customers over several years to try and resolve their financial situation". But Sydney lawyer Stewart Levitt said the damage had already been done and class action was "inevitable". "It is a bit like war preparations at the moment," he said. "If we can't cut a deal we will litigate."

The farmers' troops are led by Rodney Culleton who was evicted two years ago from his 2500 acres of prime wheat growing land in Williams, 160 kilometres from Perth. Mr Culleton was one of many farmers who had loans with Landmark, an investment scheme set up by the Australian Wheat Board, which held long-term agricultural mortgages and which was taken over by ANZ. He said farmers who signed new contracts with ANZ found that the terms and conditions of their loans had changed and they were forced to default and suffered foreclosure, sometimes by tactical response teams. It is a bit like war preparations at the moment. Lawyer Stuart Levitt But Mr Culleton refused to sign with the ANZ, preferring to refinance elsewhere.

"They virtually obstructed every effort to get payout figures or to refinance elsewhere," Mr Culleton said. "We had the capital to actually go and pay it all out." Mr Culleton said that he told his bank he was going to be in the UK and while he was there, "the pricks put me court and sued me and got me for non-appearance. We actually had the court shut us out and we have only just been able to get back into the court to have our case heard after two years which is fantastic. All the orders were set aside". And even though the Culletons say they put notice and caveats over the property it was sold off. "Any time we tried to go out there they would get the police to handcuff us or Taser us. The properties have been stolen 100 per cent. There is no innocent party. We were never ANZ clients," Mr Culleton said. In recent days, however Mr Culleton said there has been a breakthrough, with ANZ "admitting that there has been wrongdoing", he said.

In its statement ANZ said: "While Mr Culleton's claims have been tested in court many times and found in ANZ's favour on each occasion, we have recently met with Mr Culleton at his request seeking to find an amicable solution to his outstanding issues."