Customers logging in to their accounts on Monday morning found they could not view a full history of their transactions online. Instead they were greeted with a basic status update from the bank: "Unfortunately we can only provide a limited statement service at this time. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you. Please try again later."

Lloyds had warned customers of potential disruption to services over the weekend as it merged its online systems with Halifax and Bank of Scotland.

However by late Tuesday the problems had yet to be resolved, leaving customers frustrated by the problems and the banks' responses to their concerns.

One correspondent to the Scotsman newspaper complained: "Did they really have to take down the original system before they got the new one working? Having messed up their own business they seem intent on messing up their customers."

Another lambasted the bank: "Lloyds should be totally ashamed of this fiasco but they show total disregard for their customers. I phoned the help desk who did not know what was going on and were as much use as a chocolate tea pot. In my experience this is the latest in a long series of issues with their on-line banking system which is now clearly not fit for purpose."

In its defence, the bank issued a bland statement: "We're aware that there is currently an issue that means that customers cannot see a full history of their transactions when they log into their online banking.

"We're sorry for the inconvenience that this is causing, it will be resolved as soon as possible."