When I was just a young whipper-snapper, just starting off in the City and only knee-high to even Rishi Sunak, I was given sage advice – ‘Never trust Greeks, or investment bankers, bearing gifts.’

So when the story went around this week that NatWest was eyeing a bid worth up to £3 billion for Tilney Smith & Williamson, I had immediate reservations.

The M&A and private equity boys have been known to plant a story or two to help drum up interest ...