The MP for North West Hampshire, Kit Malthouse has stepped in to support an Andover couple in danger of losing their home. 

Dr Brian McDonough and wife Jessie were ‘horrified’ at being forced to sell up after their mortgage lenders Metro Bank downgraded their credit score because they missed their mortgage payment by three days.  

As previously reported, Jessie McDonough got a new job and her pay date changed, so their mortgage payment was missed by three days.

The couple told this newspaper: "The bank never telephoned, texted, emailed, or wrote to us, prior to them saying they would add the marker, we were horrified to learn the payment hadn’t been taken and we paid instantly on finding out.”

The Financial Ombudsman say that Metro Bank were legally entitled to add the marker, but the McDonough’s say it is “neither fair nor reasonable

The housing minister has written a letter to Metrobank asking them to arrange a meeting between the Bank's Chief Operating Officer, Aisling Kane, and father of two, Dr McDonough. 

Although Dr McDonough is pleased by the latest move, he says his treatment by the Bank and the Banking Ombudsman has raised serious issues: "In my opinion, the Ombudsman has a very narrow job role, which looks at whether or not the banks follow their own policies, regardless of whether the policies are terrible or not."

He added: "The Ombudsman is saying that Metro is legally entitled to apply a marker without writing to me first. They are legally entitled to offer no grace period on missed payments even when every other bank does.

"Even if they are legally following their own policies it is neither "fair nor reasonable". It's another PPI scandal!"

The family is now preparing to sell their much-loved home in Portland Close, Andover, and is preparing to move in with Mr McDonough’s parents, who live in Liverpool, until their credit score improves.