A BANKING error left an Oxford man living in a tent, until the Oxford Mail got involved.

Earlier this year former soldier Darren Johnson won a place on a city and regional planning degree at Oxford Brookes University.

He hoped to use the course as a new start after breaking up with his girlfriend, and so sold his car to Wheatley Car Centre for £4,380 in order to pay his annual accommodation fees.

However, last month his bank NatWest wrongly claimed the cheque was fraudulent and seized the cash.

That left the 35-year-old with no car, no cash, and nowhere to go as the matter hung over him.

The Oxford Mail took up the plight and yesterday NatWest said it had sorted out the problem and offered compensation.

He said: “I waited 10 years to go to university, and it was about to away from me because NatWest couldn’t sort their affairs out.

“I went in to two separate branches but they wouldn’t even give me the time of day. I was sleeping on friends’ couches for a while but didn’t want to impose so moved to the Oxford Club campsite in Abingdon Road.

“It came to a point where I thought my money would run out and I had no idea what would happen.”

Mr Johnson, who served in the Royal Engineers for more than five years, approached the London Road garage and its bank Barclays, both of whom told him the money had been transferred into his bank on April 9.

Wheatley Car Centre manager Scott Jeffs said the company asked Barclays to investigate on Mr Johnson’s behalf.

He even took his plight to Thames Valley Police to try and get it recorded as theft.

But police told him it was a civil matter and they could not investigate as a crime.

With nowhere else to go he approached the Oxford Mail for help.

After being contacted by the newspaper, Natwest confirmed its mistake.

A spokesman for NatWest said: “We have resolved the situation for the customer and offered compensation for the distress and inconvenience caused.”

Barclays said it was happy to help and was glad the issue had ended well.

Mr Johnson said: “I’m so grateful to the Oxford Mail and it is brilliant to be finally resolved.

“I can get back on with my coursework now and will have somewhere to live. It became so stressful, I couldn’t do anything and to be honest I didn’t know what to do next.”

Mr Johnson was living in a tent for two weeks until the beginning of May.

He is currently staying with friends until he moves into his accommodation at Brookes, and is waiting for confirmation of the exact amount of compensation he will recieve.

Have you got a similar problem that needs sorting out? Contact Mark Taylor on 01865 425411 or email him at mtaylor@oxfordmail.co.uk