Hargreaves Lansdown wins one in two would-be Lloyds investors

Customers battered down the doors at Hargreaves Lansdown last year to try to take part in the now-cancelled Lloyds Bank share sale, with one in every two would-be investors using the funds supermarket to register their interest.

About 450,000 people across the UK put down their names to buy Lloyds shares through a Government website, with 270,000 of those subsequently opting to use Hargreaves to try to bag an allocation.

Chancellor George Osborne has since delayed the plan because of weak stock markets but the Bristol-based behemoth shrugged off the move.

“Given it’s not happening we can suggest other things - what we usually do is put different ideas in front of people,” chief executive Ian Gorham said.