The heads of the UK's biggest banks gathered at PM Gordon Brown's weekend Chequers retreat as new plans to kick-start lending moved a step closer.

Lloyds TSB chief executive Eric Daniels and Barclays chairman Marcus Agius are reportedly among the guests along with Chancellor Alistair Darling.

A Downing Street spokesman played down the meeting, a "long-standing lunch" which was "in the diary for some time".