A CASE of mistaken identity brought a shock to the tune of £250,000 to a Kent pensioner.

Johann Klein was dismayed to discover he owed the colossal sum, after receiving a letter from a solicitor, on behalf of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

It said he must pay the mortgage default, which had mounted up to thousands.

But the 80-year-old, who lives in Portland Avenue, Sittingbourne, was the victim of mistaken identity – the writ was meant for someone else bearing a similar surname.

It was Mr Klein’s daughter Inne Whitehead who established that her father was not the offender.

Mr Klein said he was devastated by the allegation, but even though he knew he was innocent, he felt powerless to prove his case.

So he turned to his MP Derek Wyatt for help, who contacted the London-based solicitors Isadore Goldman, claiming they had wrongly sent the writ on behalf of the National Westminster Bank, which is owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Within an hour, the company accepted their mistake and sent him a letter of apology.

But Mr Wyatt felt it was not enough and demanded compensation.

Mr Klein was awarded £1,000, but the trauma of the false allegation has remained with him.

He said: "I told them I have nothing to hide. The people turned up in a Mercedes car and asked me if I was Mr Johann Klein, and I said I was and I had been here since 1964."

Mr Wyatt said he felt Mr Klein was owed compensation.

A spokesperson for the Royal Bank of Scotland said: "Under normal circumstances we do not comment on the affairs of our customers, but in this instance we had clearly made a mistake and apologised for any inconvenience caused, and have taken measures to compensate the gentleman."