ANGLO Irish Bank has become the first Irish bank to be referred by the department of finance to the Financial Regulator for seeking new deposits abroad, using the government's new bank guarantee as a selling point.

The bank has been using the guarantee to attract offshore deposits on the Isle of Man, with its offshore website boasting that "our parent provides a full guarantee in respect of all sums deposited by all depositors" in its Isle of Man branch.

The bank's activities are in conflict with the government's determination that no Irish financial institution should seek a competitive advantage over other banks from the guarantee.

Anglo's claims were removed from the internet on Thursday afternoon, along with similar claims on building society Irish Nationwide's website, following intervention from the authorities.

A department of finance spokesman said finance minister Brian Lenihan believed no Irish institution should use the guarantee to "tout for business, particularly as the terms of that guarantee have yet to be worked out. The minister takes a dim view of any such activity".

An Anglo spokeswoman said the bank was not targeting foreign deposits and that the text on the website was a mistake.

A spokesman for Irish Nationwide declined to comment. The building society is already under investigation by the Financial Regulator after chief executive Michael Fingleton's son sent an email to leading global banks stating that it was the "safest place to deposit money in Europe" as a result of the guarantee.