DOZENS of people are queuing outside the Northern Rock branch in Kendal this morning following the mortgage lender's appeal to the Bank of England for a 'liquidity lifeline'.

The customers, many of whom said they were there to withdraw savings, began queuing within minutes of the Stricklandgate branch opening its doors at 9 am.

Customers said they were withdrawing cash from their accounts because of concerns over the state of Northern Rock's finances.

The emergency Bank of England support has left thousands of savers and homeowners facing worries but financial experts say there is no danger of Northern Rock going out of business.

The Bank of England's decision to become 'lender of last resort' was taken after consultation with the Treasury and the Financial Services Authority.