Sir Fred's £3m mansion hit by bank protesters
ANTI-capitalist protesters who attacked the home of former Royal Bank of Scotland boss Sir Fred Goodwin early yesterday have warned of further attacks against “greedy” bank bosses.
Three ground-floor windows at his £3million stone villa were smashed in the attack in Edinburgh’s exclusive Grange area, where neighbours include multi-millionaire author JK Rowling.
Two windows of a £100,000 Mercedes S600 car parked in the driveway were smashed.
Two emails from a group calling itself Bank Bosses Are Criminals were sent to media organisations warning their campaign would continue.
They said: “We are angry that rich people like him are paying themselves a huge amount of money and living in luxury, while ordinary people are made unemployed, destitute and homeless. Bank bosses should be jailed. This is just the beginning.”
The attack follows public and political anger over the former chief executive’s £703,000-a-year pension payout.
Sir Fred, 50, known as “Fred the Shred” for his ruthless cost-cutting, took early retirement from RBS last year after the bank needed a £20bn bailout from the Government.
Last month RBS reported that it made a loss of £24.1bn in 2008 – the largest annual loss in UK corporate history.
When Sir Fred stepped down in October he rejected pressure to accept a reduction in his package, insisting that changes to the early retirement deal he had negotiated were “not warranted”.
The payout was described as “obscene” and “grotesque” by MPs and “unjustifiable and unacceptable” by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
It is understood Sir Fred is not currently living at the large detached property. Yesterday passing motorists sounded their horns in apparent support of the vigilante action. Neighbour Eileen Montgomerie, 74, said: “It’s not a nice thing to happen, but you can understand how some people are frustrated about losing their money and their livelihoods.”
An RBS spokesman said short-term security arrangements were in place at the house and were operating at the time of the attack.
Earlier this month it emerged that the bank was paying about £290 a month for security, including staff and CCTV. Sir Fred is still receiving RBS staff insurance on his £500,000 fleet of cars, but he pays a £6,000 annual premium towards the two Ferraris, the damaged Mercedes, Jaguar S-Type, Range Rover Vogue, Rover 45 and his pride and joy, a Triumph Stag.
Yesterday a police car was guarding the entrance to Sir Fred’s home.
