The shift may worry Natwest's customers in the Republic of Ireland, as they await to see who will buy the bank's sizeable loan book. Last year it denied it was in talks with Cerberus Capital Management, an investment group branded a 'hound of hell' by MPs, which has become infamous for snapping up loans and squeezing borrowers to force repayments. Irish politicians are putting pressure on Natwest to sell the loans to active lenders, to maintain competition and avoid the fate which has befallen some so-called mortgage prisoners in the UK. Bank customers were locked into costly mortgages, unable to swap to a cheaper alternative, after their debt was sold to New York-based Cerberus – which is not licensed as a bank and so cannot offer new loans.