An elderly Irish man pelted eggs at the board of an Irish bank today, calling for the entire board to be replaced by Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

Gary Keogh, 66, from Blackrock, Co Dublin, said he had lost his entire life savings and pension in the collapse of Allied Irish Bank's share price.

"The whole board should be replaced by Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. We should go to Disneyland and Paris."

"I have no pension. My pension now is wiped out because of AIB. I cannot sell the shares because they are useless.

"If we didn't live in a tolerant society, the chairman and the rest of the board would be hanging by their necks with piano wire out on the road."

AIB chairman Dermot Gleeson had to duck to avoid being hit by the eggs which smashed on to the wall behind him.

A shaken Gleeson said he apologised unreservedly for the anxiety and distress the bank's actions had caused.

Gleeson, who said he was "acutely aware" of the individual hardship brought about by the fall in the bank's share price, said he understood shareholders's frustrations.

However, his apologies fell on stony ground as the shareholders, many of  them pensioners said they had lost everything because of AIB.

Keogh, who was escorted from the meeting by the bank's security staff said he felt compelled to throw the eggs after Mr Gleeson tried to speak over another shareholder.

However, he did not proffer an explanation as to how he just happened to have a couple of eggs in his pockets!