I'm very tempted to do that but I've got the bit between my teeth now so will pay the £10 this time. Great advice by the way, many thanks.

Oh right, I thought I'd need reference numbers or exact dates. Thanks for the info, I'll do that and will let you know if I get anything back.

I've been trying to get information about a mortgage my husband had with the Northern Rock from the mid 1980s to 1998. He was sold PPI and home insurance and was told he had to buy it from them as they wouldn't give him a mortgage if he didn't - the usual story. I remember ringing them about the insurance in the early 1990s as it was absolutely extortionate, very expensive and much more cover than he needed for a two-up, two-down terraced house. We've looked everywhere for the paperwork but think we must have lost it when we moved house six years ago. I rang the solicitors we used and they said they only keep records for seven years, they weren't interested anyway! This week I got a copy of a bank statement for the early months of 1998, just before we sold it, but there aren't any payments to Northern Rock from it and we can only think we must have paid it in our local branch office. I've already contacted N-RAM who replied very quickly to say that they had no records of anything in my husband's name! I haven't sent a data request as I don't know the mortgage number. It's become a bit of a challenge now, there must be records somewhere. Any help on ways of getting further information would be very welcome.