Lloyds de-bank mum for sending 'pocket money' to ballet star son in Moscow

A livid mother has had her bank account abruptly closed by Lloyds after sending "pocket money" to her son, a ballet star based in Russia. Catherine Copeland, 58, has labelled the decision to 'de-bank' her as "politically motivated", following the freezing of her son's account when he accessed it from Moscow.

Lloyds have now informed her that her own accounts are being completely shut down. The retired ballet teacher had been sending money from her Lloyds account to her son, Hector Moore, 20, through the online money transfer service Profee, an action she insists was 'completely legal'.

She had been providing him with pocket money and rent assistance while he trained at the esteemed Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, Russia. Catherine, who resides in Tring, Hertfordshire, claims the issues didn't arise until January, when Hector, now a graduate and soloist for the Moscow Ballet Theatre, checked his bank balance.

She said: "Immediately his account was frozen. He didn't think too much about it. I just said 'look, don't worry you can just get on the phone with them, it's probably just because you're overseas'."

However, when Hector did contact his bank, Catherine says it felt like an 'interrogation'. She said: "He was asked where he was, why he was there, what he was doing, where he worked, the address of where he worked, his tax file number, his work visa. He asked at the end of the call 'can I have my bank account unfrozen?' Whoever he spoke to said 'I need to speak to some people in the back room'. Then, he had a really rude letter through the post saying he was no longer welcome to be a customer."

Catherine stated: "It's quite frightening they've got that power to do that, I'm such a law-abiding person, I really am. Even with sending pocket money to Hector in Russia, I researched it so carefully and everything I've done has been completely legal. The service I used is Profee which is highly regulated, I had to go through a six-week vetting process with them just to send small amounts. I just haven't done anything illegal."

She continued her tirade, suggesting: "I think this is even racist, it borders on racism. I think they're breaking their own laws. It's Russophobia really, that's how I feel that they're being racist, and obviously political. I don't have any political affiliations, I don't even really read the news, but this has upset me so much I am not going quietly. I'm happy never to bank with Lloyds again, but I'm going to be noisy about it. I want attention drawn to it, I'm just outraged."

Lloyds denied the bank would ever close a person's account due to their political or personal beliefs. However, it said there are instances when a person's account would be closed and the bank reserves the right to issue a customer with notice to close it without explanation.

A spokesperson from Lloyds Bank stated: "We have contacted Mr Moore and Ms Copeland regarding their accounts and are unable to comment further."

Catherine also said she had obtained the Lloyds credit card merely to assist with her son's £31,800 annual fee at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts following the introduction of VAT. The mother has shared her struggle with surprise VAT charges on school fees, leading to a debt crisis: "The VAT was the reason I got the credit card, I just hadn't factored it in when I budgeted for the school, I didn't apply for a scholarship.

"I just thought I'd be able to manage them, but unfortunately the school was in the position where they had to apply the VAT straight away. It's absolutely criminal taxing education for young people; it doesn't matter what their background is, why they're at that school – all children deserve to learn," she added. "As a teacher, I'm absolutely horrified by it."

Isle of Man-born Hector, now aged 20, earned a full-ride to attend Tring School of Performing Arts in Hertfordshire in 2015 alongside his supportive family, who moved to Britain for the sake of his ballet aspirations. However, after he started training at Moscow's Bolshoi Academy in 2021, one year before the onslaught of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sanctions and political tensions have greatly complicated his commutes.

Instead of prior direct transit options, the young ballet talent now weaves through Turkey to reach Moscow. His mother, Catherine, weighed in: "He has worked so hard to get where he is, and it's very difficult to follow a ballet path in the UK, probably 95% of graduates, even from the Royal Ballet School, have to go overseas to work.

"There just aren't the jobs here and it's hard to get a training place here. He was over the moon when he was offered such a wonderful institute to train at, world-renowned. It's very difficult to get in to, and he was hand-selected by his teacher there, who was the former principal of the Bolshoi ballet. The whole time he's been there, he's been treated with nothing but politeness and respect, and to have his own bank treat him so rudely, it's such a contrast."