A British pensioner trying to withdraw cash from her savings account was denied access to it on the grounds that she was dead.

Mary Welsby, 77, arrived at the bank wondering why her monthly statements had stopped coming. While there, she decided to withdraw some money and showed the clerk ID and waited.

"The young lady serving me began typing away on her computer but all of a sudden looked puzzled and told me that according to their records, I was dead. She went a bit pale, either because she was embarrassed at such a mistake or she thought she was seeing a ghost."

Despite showing up in person the bank told Welsby that she was deceased and that the 3,000 pounds or $6,000 she had in the account had been paid out to her next of kin.

"I know I'm quite long in the tooth now but I'm certainly not dead," said Welsby.

Apparently, a woman with a similar name and close to Welsby's age had passed away. Welsby and her bank have since cleared up the error and her money has been returned.