Papers focus on High Street banks

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A number of papers focus on high street banks in their first editions, which were printed before news of the Cumbria rail crash broke.

The Times says banks are to write-off Â£6.6bn of debt with record numbers of people defaulting on personal loans and credit card debt.

The Financial Times says regulators could allow consumers to claim as much as Â£10bn in penalty charges levied on them over the past six years.

The Daily Telegraph reports banks are set to announce Â£40bn of profits, equivalent to Â£475 for each household.

Fresh thinking

The Guardian says that hundreds of thousands of the long-term unemployed could be offered cheap loans to pay off their debts.

The idea has come from investment banker David Freud, who has been asked by the government to come up with fresh thinking on the welfare state.

One man who worked himself out of debt is former US President Bill Clinton.

The Independent says he has earned Â£20m since leaving the White House with his bank balance in the red.

Insurance fees

The Daily Mail raises concerns about what it says is a step towards genetically modified babies.

It says the government is to allow scientists to alter the genes of embryos in order to carry out experiments on inherited diseases.

The Daily Telegraph reports motorists can expect higher insurance premiums if they are found guilty of using a mobile phone while driving.

From next Tuesday, using a mobile at the wheel will be an endorsable offence.

'Weak willed'

Several papers give their verdict on the government's plans to send an extra 1,000 British troops to Afghanistan.

The Daily Telegraph says the reinforcements are already being described as insufficient by senior army officers.

The Guardian reports that the new troops will operate across the whole of southern Afghanistan.

The Sun says Germany, Italy, Spain and France are "weak willed" for refusing to send their troops to the war zone.