Yes, of course this will affect lots of ordinary people with normal jobs and that's bad. But the point is, the more bankers we lose, the less suffering they'll - and we'll - all have to endure in the future from those bankers' criminal irresponsibility, recklessness and greed.

S. Campbell, Bath, England

I'm sorry for the backroom and support staff who may lose their jobs. but for the bankers who created this mess, I have nothing but contempt.

John Austin, London , England

Are any more bonuses due for payment before the doors close?

Mike, Sydney,

Enough of this gloating. Oh go on then.

Adrian, London,

Why shouldn't we rub our hands in glee because thousands of these bloodsuckers are going to lose their jobs? It's great that their share options are worthless but a shame that they don't have to pay back the Excecutive Salaries and bonus's that they robbed from shareholders, low paid staff and cust

Gavrilo Prinzip, Bromley, UK

This is actually good news, it will make Banks realise they cannot lend so recklessly anymore without sanction, they only have thmeselves to blame

Andy cooper, Oxford,

Building Societies masquerading as Banks. Hedge Funds using other people's money to rig markets to their advantage. Overpaid spivs in Banks who speculate with depositors funds . As a stockbroker I invested money for pensioners,raised capital for industry & government &
prospered No sympathy here!

Mordwinoff, Tocane, France

seems to me losses on the scale of what we are seeing is tantamount to criminal negligence ...

s potter, kent, uk

Thieving Vermin..Global Greed
America...Well well.

eric, newcastle, uk

As others have remarked: it's not just the bankers and big-earners that will loose their jobs. It's secretaries, cleaners, office-suppliers, caterers and many more that will be hit by a firm going bust. These people do not earn high salaries and losing earnings affects them far worse. Crowing victory about big shots being brought low smacks of having a similar tunnel-vision world view as the money-spinners now bust

Kate, the Hague, Holland

Dear Amy, Of course you are right, and this is because we have an economy which is 40% financial services. This includes Bankers, Estate Agetnts, Solicitors, Brokers etc. This imbalance will affect many jobs in services, etc.

Chris, Tunbridge Wells, UK

Any of you stopped to think who might own Lehman Bros's now worthless shares? When your defined-contribution pension scheme doesn't make the returns you demanded of it this year, you won't all be suprised will you?
The events of the weekend are not good for anyone, and don't justify gloating.

Pete, Liverpool,

The effects on the City will inevitable impact other areas of the economy. Job losses in any industry is not good, we should begin to worry as to the way the Global Economy is heading and not belittle those that are about to face uncertainty.

Bilal , Manchester ,

What sickeningly misplaced schadenfreude is evident in these comments. It's the work-a-day office workers who will lose out here. If anyone deserves your contempt it's the Fat Cats at the top. But do they care? What do you think as they lap away at the cream they have put aside for the hard times?

Nick, Woodbridge, England

Hi all the way from Australia. Yes, I feel for the secretaries, clerks and ordinary people who will lose their jobs. But I DID catch the train to Canary Wharf for 6 months and i DO rub my hands with glee at the prospect of those bankers losing their own homes!!!! Couldnt happen to a nicer bunch!

Brad, Wollongong, Australia

As an Engineer who started his trade in the early 60's, the banking industry has been a mystery to me! How people can make millions from what is- to me, not a real job, baffles! I have watched the British Engineering capacity go from THE world leader to nothing. My sympathies are with the workers.

Kyle, Inverness, Scotland

The great depression took two years to form after october, 1929 share market crash. Both crashes have been driven by podzi schemes driven by unrealistic market forces. Lets face it, the market finds an equilibrium but there tends to be a tsunami before it

Stephen O'Mara, Tamworth, Australia

Some thoughtless and insenstive comments. There were a vast amount of people employed that did not earn millions of pounds. The future of thousands will affected by the loss of jobs today. All EX-employees of LB will not find employment by Christmas. Black Monday indeed! We'll all feel the affects..

Tanya Patterson, London,

before you all rub your hands in glee at thousands of bankers being out of a job, just remember that the City of London represents a sizeable slug of our services based economy...trouble for the City equals far worse for for the rest of you, so stop being so shortsighted and fear for your own jobs!

Amy, London, UK

You are seeing the results of what happens when capitalism goes unregulated. Shameful to think ordinary people will loose, while the perpeTRAITORS/ Bloody Bankers walk away, with their pockets bulging from huge bonuses, Scot free!

Dave Bridge, Southport, UK

You can be sent to prison for 2 years for stealing an apple in this country. You can be paid millions year after year for making investment decisions, driven by greed, that turn out ot cost us ALL much more than the cost of an Orchard, and for that the bankers get to rest in their third homes!

Bobby Smith, London,

Welcome to the real world!

For too long the banks have been playing roulette with their clients money and now reality is biting.

I feel sorry for the thousands of employees who do not have the milion dollar cushions which the executive will receive for making a mess of their businesses.

s clifford, manchester, england

What a miserable, thoughtless lot you are! Ordinary people will lose their livelihoods and decent families will suffer - when have job losses ever been good!?

Not sure what this story has got to do with Gordon Brown either. A mindless comment that reflects badly on morale in the UK.

Jonathan Main, Kuwait City,

I wouldn't be surprised if Gordon Brown blames the Tories.

hall, Sheffield, UK

The more the merrier.

By the way, the Harry Potter analogy is widely off mark.

Harry didn't create Lord Voldermot whereas the financial sector created this monster. In the interest of a morally satisfying ending, they should therefore be consumed by it.

Perky Pat, Belfast,

Perhaps all the bankers could go to Las Vegas and get the jobs they obviously REALLY wanted, eh?

At least there, the punters play with THEIR OWN MONEY, don't they?

Rhys Jaggar, Leeds, UK

Most people who work in investment banks don't make million pound bonuses - they're clerks and accountants and secretaries with bills to pay and families to feed.

The "bigshots" that got us all into this mess will get new jobs straight away while everyone else pays the price.

That's life...

James, London, UK

the prospect of all those bankers being "out on the street" amuses me, however lots of other people will have lost their jobs before Christmas as the jobless bankers won't be spending any money in shops or restaurants anymore...

paulc, gloucester,

Q: what do you call thousands of bankers out on the street?

A: a good start.

S. Campbell, Bath, England