A NatWest bank worker was dismissed from her position after being discovered spying on her neighbour's personal bank accounts amid a bitter dispute over parking. Emma Edwards, 49, initiated a campaign of harassment against her neighbour Becki Gilroy, 35, after Ms Gilroy began parking her car outside Ms Edwards' residence.
During a particularly tense altercation, the mother-of-two was accused of being a 'benefit scrounger' by Ms Edwards. Ms Gilroy, who is not on benefits but receives financial assistance to care for her disabled daughter, demanded an investigation into how the bank employee knew about her financial circumstances. The bank subsequently found that Ms Edwards had accessed Ms Gilroy's bank account over 100 times.
The mother, from Llanelli in South Wales, then contacted the police, who uncovered that Ms Edwards had also accessed her neighbour's business account and a campaign fund established to save her daughter's special school. Ms Edwards later admitted a criminal offence of harassment but was not prosecuted due to it being a first offence. Instead, she received an adult community resolution (ACR), requiring her to complete a behavioural course.
The Parking Dispute
The conflict between the two neighbours began when Ms Edwards insisted she should be able to park outside both houses. Subsequently, she began hurling abusive remarks at the mother as she went to her car with her disabled daughter, calling her a 'benefit scrounging c***.'
The cruel comments left Ms Gilroy perplexed, as Ms Edwards had no legitimate way of knowing she received state financial help for her non-verbal daughter. Ms Gilroy stated: 'She didn't want me to park outside my own house. She said her family had lived there 20 years and had always been able to park their cars alongside both houses. This woman has a large drive that fits two or three vehicles on it, but she told me she didn't want to use it because it's been done with resin. Her drive is empty, but she is still adamant that she wants the space outside my house, too. I explained I wasn't parking there to be a pain, but I don't have a driveway, and it's the safest way for me to transport my disabled daughter to and from the car.'
Investigation and Consequences
Ms Gilroy realised she had seen Ms Edwards wearing a NatWest uniform and contacted the bank to find out how her neighbour knew details about her personal accounts. Initially told nothing was wrong, she demanded a formal investigation following further abuse. The bank then admitted that one of its employees had been secretly trawling through the accounts without a legitimate reason.
Ms Gilroy said: 'I asked if the bank could check if my account had been accessed unlawfully, and I was reassured it had not been. But when I received more abusive comments from Emma, I requested a formal investigation.' She was offered £500 compensation from the bank, which she refused. 'I can only imagine she was trying to find dirt on me because I had the audacity to park outside my own house. I am still in shock, and I feel incredibly violated. It's a horrible feeling. It beggars belief that someone can snoop into your bank account like this over and over with no justification whatsoever.'
After police involvement, Ms Edwards admitted a criminal offence of harassment but was not prosecuted due to it being a first offence. She received an adult community resolution (ACR) requiring a behavioural course. Ms Gilroy criticised the outcome, stating: 'This isn't justice. She has broken the law and completely violated my privacy, and received a pathetic punishment. At least she has lost her job and can't snoop into any other bank accounts, which is a relief.'
Ms Gilroy has since been awarded £1,000 compensation from NatWest by the Ombudsman. She commented: 'If I hadn't kept pushing and made a formal complaint, I'd never have known my accounts had been accessed. There should be much stricter protocol on staff being able to access customers' accounts; what happened to me is living proof of that.'
Carmarthenshire Council has approved a disabled parking bay outside the mother's house for her daughter. The warring neighbours continue to live next door to each other, which Ms Gilroy described as 'purgatory'. She said: 'My eight-year-old daughter is too afraid to go out into our back garden in case she's out there after all the abuse she has put us through. We love our home so much, but it's become virtually intolerable living here - we may have no choice but to move house.'
A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson stated: 'A 49-year-old woman was arrested on 10 October 2025, on suspicion of harassment. The matter was finalised by way of an adult community resolution with a condition for the offender to be referred to the diversionary scheme. The ACR was issued following consultation with the victim on the basis that it was the suspect's first offence. She has accepted responsibility for her actions and agreed to meet the conditions of her resolution order within the agreed time frame. The aim of a community resolution is to reduce reoffending by encouraging the individual to recognise the impact of their offence and commit to changing their behaviour by engaging in a restorative or educational programme.'
A NatWest spokesperson added: 'Following concerns raised by our customer, an investigation was carried by our litigation and investigations team and, based on their findings, swift and appropriate action was taken.'
