In the first #quarter of this year #Barclays made a #profit of around £2.45 billion which is well ahead of their expectations.
#Barclays took a £300m hit to cover payment protection mis-selling claims, which has become a major cost in recent moths for most #banks.
In a bid to deal with the problem, it set aside a £1.3 billion cushion after a rise in #PPI claims.
It said the unexpected success were largely down to the UK's retail #banking division and Barclaycard, which both performed well.
Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond has been criticised over his £17.7 million pay package for 2011, which is expected to come under increased scrutiny at the bank's annual meeting on Friday despite recent moves to subdue a #shareholder rebellion.
