The Queen's bank, Coutts & Co, has appointed a new senior private banker at its Oxford branch.

Roger Plummer, 47, will look after the wealth of rich people who are retired or are nearing retirement age.

He said: "The average personal wealth of retired people in the past few years has increased, and it has become even more important for those nearing retirement to seek professional advice."

He has 29 years' experience of financial services, joining Coutts from HSBC Trust Company where he was senior private client manager with responsibility for pensions, investments, trusts and financial planning.

Coutts & Co, established in 1692, is now the private banking arm of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. It manages the finances of 70,000 clients in the UK and overseas.

New clients must have at least £500,000 of investable assets.