Watchdog says it was ‘incorrect’ to suggest Alison Rose breached law by discussing ex-Ukip leader’s banking with journalist

The UK’s data watchdog has issued a formal apology to ex-NatWest boss Alison Rose, saying it was “incorrect” to suggest she had breached data protection laws by discussing Nigel Farage’s banking relationship with a BBC journalist.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) appeared to back-pedal on findings released last month, which originally suggested Rose had broken rules by confirming the former Ukip leader had accounts with the private bank Coutts, and misleading a journalist over why it planned to close them.