NORTHERN Rock customers in the North-East appear to have been reassured by the Government's intervention in the ongoing banking crisis.

Last night, Chancellor Alistair Darling said the Government would guarantee the deposits of Northern Rock savers after £600m was wiped off the company's stock market value yesterday by people withdrawing their cash.

This morning, only four people were waiting outside a Northern Rock branch in Newcastle city centre when the building society opened its doors at 8am.

The scene was a marked contrast from the long queue snaking around the building at the same time yesterday.

Peter Ho, who works in a local take-away, was one of the few people at the branch first thing today. He said he had taken out £12,000 of his savings and left £90 in his account, despite the Government's assurances.

He said: "It's better to be safe than sorry and have peace of mind. My brother was talking to a stockbroker and he said it was best to get it out, so I'm just following advice.

"I saw all the crowds yesterday and decided I'd better come today."

Pam Pridie, 60, a probation officer from Jesmond, Newcastle, visited a Northern Rock branch in the city centre this morning and withdrew her normal weekly amount.

She said she had no intention of closing her account.

She said: "I understand why people panic and it has a knock-on effect when you see other people panicking. But after last night people can stop panicking now - if you can trust the Government, but I think it's unlikely they would say that if they couldn't carry it through.

"But I am amazed there are big queues this morning, although I think people in Newcastle are quite sympathetic."

Shares in Northern Rock were up nearly ten per cent in early trading this morning.

Meanwhile, The Bank of England is set to pour more than £4bn into the markets in a bid to reassure nervous investors and help lenders.

The money - over and above the usual Bank activity - will be authorised within the next hour.

Officials hope the cash will help banks finding it difficult to borrow new money.

Fears over the US sub-prime market has seen banks reluctant to lend each other money - a situation that forced The Northern Rock to request emergency assistance last week.

The Bank of England's move is calculated to help other banks that may be suffering.