A MAJOR employer in Hampshire has been accused of double standards after criticising a rival for considering a foreign takeover.

Union leaders representing staff at Lloyds TSB's call centre at the Solent Business Park in Whiteley, near Fareham, where up to 350 could lose their jobs in a feared move to India, have hit out at bosses.

The bank's board has criticised bosses at Abbey for considering a takeover by Spanish bank Santander Central because it may lead to the high street becoming dominated by foreigners.

Lloyds chairman Maarten van den Bergh said: "Would British banking best be served if it's dominated by foreigners?" But union officials claim that with a move of TSB staff to India still under consideration the statement is gross hypocrisy.

Steve Tatlow, assistant general secretary Lloyds TSB Group Union (LTU), said: "It's rich that Lloyds TSB's board should complain that a UK bank could fall into foreign hands at the same time as it is transferring existing UK jobs to India.

"Before it complains about the need to protect the national interest perhaps the Lloyds TSB board should stop turning a deaf ear to the overwhelming opposition from customers.

" More than 3,000 people in Fareham signed a petition in April calling for the jobs to stay in the UK.

Union assistant secretary Peter O'Grady said: "People in the south, particularly Fareham, are really against the plans.

" LTU is collecting the signatures of more than 500,000 customers across the UK opposed to their accounts being managed abroad.

Abbey shares made further gains yesterday after it emerged that Halifax and Bank of Scotland group HBOS was thinking of a rival bid for the UK bank.

HBOS said it was at the "preliminary stages" of reviewing its position on Abbey, which employs 470 local staff at a call centre at Segensworth, near Fareham.

As previously reported, Abbey last week agreed to the £8.

2 billion takeover by Spain's largest banking group.

With any interest from HBOS likely to draw out other UK banking giants, Abbey shares moved two per cent higher to 578p - well above the value of the Spanish offer price.

However, HBOS headed in the opposite direction, falling two per cent to 698.5p.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, HSBC, which employs more than 1,000 across offices in Southampton, set a new European record for half-year earnings after profits rose 53 per cent to £5.14 billion in the first six months of this year.