NatWest has apologised and paid compensation after a woman seeking a loan for a vegan nutrition course was told ‘all vegans should be punched in the face’

Name: NatWest loans.

Age: First offered in 1970 after the merger of National Provincial bank and Westminster bank.

Appearance: As soon as the next working day, as long as you are over 18, have a NatWest current account and aren’t vegan.

Sorry, NatWest doesn’t give loans to vegans? Well, it has previously made it difficult.

When? In January, apparently, when a customer rang up seeking a loan to cover the cost of a vegan nutrition course. She was turned down.

What made her suspect the refusal had anything to do with her being vegan? The bank employee dropped a few hints, according to the woman.

What sort of hints? “I told him I was an active vegan,” she told BBC Radio Bristol. “And he proceeded to tell me that all vegans should be punched in the face.”

Yes, that is quite a strong hint. I thought it just went by your credit score. To be clear: this is not NatWest policy. It seem this particular employee held a bit of a grudge.

Why does he hate vegans so much? Because of chalk activism, apparently.

Because of what? He claimed that vegan campaigners were chalking messages on to the pavement – drawings of animals alongside slogans such as “Friends Not Food” – near his house.

And these chalk drawings sent him into a face-punching rage? He felt the vegans were unfairly forcing their beliefs on to him.

Imagine what they could do if they were allowed to take out loans. “When you’re calling up a really big organisation like NatWest, you just don’t expect that kind of response,” said the woman.

It is certainly an argument for applying online in future – using a different bank. Well, for what it’s worth, NatWest is very sorry. It described the comments as “wholly inappropriate” and has commenced disciplinary proceedings.

I should think so. And it offered the woman – who has chosen to remain anonymous – £400 to cover the cost of the course, plus compensation in the weirdly specific amount of £185.

I have one word to say to that: result. The bank also promises to “ensure that lessons are learned so that a situation like this never happens again”. Because otherwise it could get expensive.

Do say: “While such bigotry is never acceptable, this is a clear victory for the 600,000 Britons who identify as vegan.”

Don’t say: “Hey NatWest – for £585 I’ll come down there and let you punch me in the face right now!”