A couple are celebrating winning back more than £4,000 in rip-off bank charges.

Suzanne Whelan, 33, challenged the Halifax after seeing the Beat the Banks campaign in The Argus.

She successfully reclaimed £640 which she had been charged for going overdrawn.

Her partner Anthony Wright, 42, also followed our advice and has been refunded £3,400.

The Halifax originally offered him £3,200 but he pushed for the full amount he was owed.

Suzanne, of The Finches, Shoreham, said: "It really was so simple to do and now I'm helping my sister and some friends to get their money back too.

"I followed the steps in The Argus and first of all got all my bank statements sent to me.

"I then added up how much I was owed and asked for that amount back, using the sample letter in the paper.

"The Halifax wrote back and said I had to give them time to investigate the claims. It was a ridiculous amount of time so I just went ahead and sent off the next letter straightaway.

"Within ten days, they had paid my money."

The Argus has been running the Beat the Banks campaign and has published step-by-step instructions.

Banks charge people up to £38 for going overdrawn or bouncing a cheque.

But people have started threatening their banks with court action in a massive public backlash.

It follows a landmark court case where a student won £5,000 from Abbey after its charges were ruled unfair.

The Office for Fair Trading (OFT) is investigating and expected to declare rip-off bank fees illegal.

Suzanne said: "I didn't realise how big the amount was until I sat down and went through my statements.

"I had no idea it all mounted up to so much. The bank takes a bit here and a bit there in charges and it comes to quite a lot without you realising it.

"I'd like to thank the bank for this involuntary saving scheme.

"To us, it was money gone and we had no idea we'd ever be able to get it back until we saw it in The Argus.

"That was the first time we'd ever heard about reclaiming charges and now we've got money we wouldn't have had otherwise.

"It is great, absolutely fantastic and I'd urge everyone to do this. It isn't complicated at all - you just have to do what it says in The Argus."

Suzanne, Anthony and children Charlie, 15, Bob, 13, and 11-year-old Lewis are planning a holiday to Egypt with the money.

Have you successfully claimed back bank charges? Leave your comments below.

For your free guide to claiming your money back, click here.