Kleinwort Benson is increasing its private banking staff by 30 per cent.

The private banking group is opening new offices across the north of the United Kingdom, The Telegraph reported this weekend. A new office has already opened in Manchester and another in Birmingham is imminent in the next few weeks.

Another two or three office openings are planned for 2007.

Robert Taylor, the chief executive of Kleinwort Benson, was quoted as saying there are 18,0000 new private banking clients coming onto the UK market every year.