Online bank Egg is to close its digital TV banking service after failing to capture its target audience.

But just 1,300 of Egg's 3.2 million customers made use of the service, which was launched in December 2000 and accessible via Sky TV.

Using a special keyboard or their TV remote control Egg customers could request information via their digital set-top box, with data sent to Egg in encrypted XML format using the internet data transfer standard, HTTP.

"It sounds like one of those great ideas but people don't use it," a spokeswoman for Egg told vnunet.com.

"We have found they like to keep their leisure activities and business activities quite separate."

The service will close on 15 April. Egg has emailed all of its customers informing them of the decision.