The day bailiffs paid a visit to the Halifax

The officials have the power to seize computers, chairs and other goods unless the bank coughs up the money - £1,900 - or decides to fight the claim.

The move is the latest example of people power generated by a mass consumer backlash over unfair bank penalty charges.

Millions of people are understood to be in the process of demanding a refund of overdraft penalty charges, which can be £39 per offence, dating back six years.

The bailiffs were acting on behalf of Paula and Darren Share, from Clifton, Manchester, who have been claiming a total of £4,900 from the Halifax.

The bank paid up £3,000 but disputed the remaining £1,900.

However, the bank failed to defend the claim made by the Shares when it went before a county court judge and so was automatically ordered to pay up.

Yesterday bailiffs acting on behalf of the coupled turned up at the headquarters of Halifax, which made profits of £5.7 billion last year, to pursue the debt.

Mrs Share, a 39-year-old mother of two, said: 'I find the whole thing rather comical. Here is a bank worth billions of pounds and yet we have had to call in the bailiffs to get back just £1,900.

'Obviously, it is usually the banks who are sending in bailiffs to the homes of their customers. But now the boot is on the other foot.'

She said: 'The charges imposed by the banks are horrendous, ludicrous. You can find that going into overdraft once for a few pounds can trigger a snowball effect leading to charges of £90 each time it happens.

'The bank charges and interest push you into an overdraft, payments are then bounced and you then get into penalties from utility and mortgage companies for missing payments.

'Sending in bailiffs is extreme, but it important that people keep fighting. I would urge others to do the same.'

The mass movement to reclaim overdraft penalty charges was triggered by a clarification of the law issued by the Office of Fair Trading a year ago.

It made clear that the charges should reflect administration costs, rather than being used as a penalty to boost profits.

The banks themselves have bowed to pressure from customers and made refunds, rather than defending the charges in the courts.

Such has been the rush for refunds that a number of companies have been set up to pursue claims for members of the public.

The Shares used a company called Charge Claims, which is being paid 40per cent of the refund - which could end up at almost £2,000.

The consumer group Which? has questioned the need for these companies. It points out that it is very easy for individuals to make their own refund claims.

Information about how to do it can be found on the Daily Mail's sister website ThisisMoney.co.uk as well as the Which? website and several others.

Director of Charge Claims, Amy Vickers, said: 'Our service is for consumers who have incurred these unfair bank charges but do not want the hassle of reclaiming the charges themselves.'

She said the company can generally win bigger refunds than people making their own claims.

Miss Vickers said: 'Our expertise in contract and consumer law provides our customers with the clout and confidence to take on the banks and cream off some of the fat cats' profits.'

A Halifax spokesman said the bank had not known about the court order until it was delivered yesterday morning.

He said the bank would be looking at the situation before deciding whether to challenge it or pay up.

Later, the Halifax claimed the court order had been rescinded by the court because of a procedural problem. This was denied by Charge Claims.