Barclays has created a new senior in-house legal role at Barclays UK, the retail banking franchise set up earlier this year in response to the UK's new ring-fencing regime.

Long-serving Barclays lawyer Paul Loftus, who has spent 13 years at the bank after joining from Clifford Chance in 2004, took up the position of head of legal for banking products and propositions at Barclays UK last month.

The new position has been created as the bank reshuffles its in-house legal team in preparation for fully ring-fencing its retail operations from its investment banking activities next April.