The weird world of personal loans

Holiday loans still outstrip those for tigers, Lloyds TSB says

The most unusual requests for a loan have been revealed by banking group Lloyds TSB.

Requests to borrow money to buy a tiger, build a robot and bake the biggest cake in the world were among the loan applications.

Other loans were requested to purchase a dress belonging to the Spice Girls, and to make an online bid to date a famous footballer.

Someone else asked for cash to remove a rat's nest from a motorbike engine.

Other unusual requests were for a loan to be on the waiting list for cryogenic freezing, and a 40-year-old man requested a loan to meet Mickey Mouse in America.

A woman asked for a loan to get her teeth sorted in time for her wedding day, and another hopeful applicant wanted £3,000 to buy a British bulldog.

Tony Gibbons, director of Lloyds TSB Personal Loans, said: "While the British might be renowned for being reserved, our records prove we still have our fair share of eccentrics.

"The top three reasons for taking out a loan are still holidays, cars and home improvements, but sometimes people apply for money for something just that little bit out of the ordinary."