More than 1.5 million Bradford & Bingley members have had their say on the crucial vote over whether the building society should become a bank.

The figure makes the 60 per cent turnout - out of 2.5 million members - the highest for a building society fighting conversion and the biggest in the B&B's history.

The result of the vote, which will be announced at the end of next Monday's B&B annual meeting, is expected to dictate the future of building societies in the UK.

Chris Holland, the firm's corporate communications manager, said today: "We hope we have motivated enough pro-mutuality members to vote. We do not know how the vote has gone and will not know until after the meeting."

A campaign group is recruiting a volunteer workforce to help keep the Bradford & Bingley a building society. Members of the Save Our Building Societies are calling on people to join them in the fight to keep the B&B as it is.

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