LLOYDS Banking Group will pay £218m fines to UK and US authorities as punishment for the rigging of interest rate benchmarks.

The group said the manipulation took place between May 2006 and 2009.

It added those involved have left, been suspended or are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Barclays was the first to settle Libor rate-rigging claims, paying £290m in penalties to US and UK regulators in June 2012, while state-backed Royal Bank of Scotland was hit with a £391m settlement.

Almost £70m of the fine from the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) relates to attempts by Lloyds to manipulate the fees payable to the Bank of England for participation in a taxpayer-backed government scheme designed to support the UK's banks during the financial crisis.

The £105m total fine from the FCA is the joint third highest ever imposed by the regulator or its predecessor, the Financial Services Authority, and the seventh penalty for Libor-related failures.

While the Libor misconduct is similar to other institutions, the rigging of the Bank of England's Special Liquidity Scheme has not been seen before.

Lloyds will pay the Bank £7.8m in compensation for the reduction in the amount of fees received by the central bank as a result of the manipulation.