HSBC customers faced chaos in the UK on the New Year public holiday as the bank suffered a major breakdown in services.

A computer glitch meant customers were unable to get money from cash machines or use credit cards and Switch cards.

People were also unable to access their personal accounts on the bank's internet service.

A spokeswoman for HSBC said the glitch was the most serious the bank had experienced in its history, but most problems had now been resolved.

She added that HSBC did not believe the fault was the result of an outside attack, but it was investigating its cause.

Spending headache

The bank said it was confident there would not be a security risk to people's accounts as a result of the problems, which were purely a technical mishap.

It was unclear how many customers had been affected by the breakdown, as not all cash dispensers or card payment outlets had been affected.

However, the banking giant did add that any customers still experiencing problems should call 08457 404 404.

The problem could cause a major headache for many people heading to the January sales as they make the most of the last day of the festive holidays.

News of the problem comes just days after spending on credit and debit cards overtook that of cash, according to the Association for Payment Clearing Services (Apacs).

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