Northern Rock leaders today came under fire for failing to arrange sufficient credit facilities to insure against problems accessing public funding, during a barrage of questions as they faced a powerful parliamentary committee for the first time.

Northern Rock's chief executive Adam Applegarth, as well as chairman Matt Ridley and non-executives Sir Ian Gibson and Sir Derek Wanless, were all summoned to a meeting this morning by the Treasury Select Committee, which has already quizzed officials from the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority over the crisis that has engulfed Northern Rock since August 9.