As of last year B&B was owned by

Shareholder Structure
Shareholders' interests in shares at 31 December 2007

Holder range  Holders  %                         Shares %
1 - 250                 840,210 89.366         208,195,177 33.706
251 - 500              77,195  8.211             30,417,049 4.924
501 - 1,000           13,475  1.433               9,686,725 1.568
1,001 - 5,000          8,019  0.853              16,126,503 2.611
5,001 - 10,000           597  0.063                4,299,189 0.696
10,001 - 100,000       438  0.047              12,681,162  2.053
100,001 - 200,000       89  0.009              12,672,375 2.052
200,001 - 500,000       69  0.007              21,900,138 3.546
500,001 - 1,000,000    36  0.004              25,611,192 4.146
1,000,001 - 5,000,000 50  0.005            112,191,413 18.164
5,000,001 - and over   17  0.002            163,893,611 26.534 
 

940,195 share holders owning owning 617,674,534 shares

On 22 August 2008 they issued shares at 55p to raise over £400 million, the share structure changed and many banks combined ownership of 30% of the B&B

Standard Life Investments Ltd had a notifiable interest in 9.607% of the total voting rights in Bradford & Bingley plc (138,858,473 shares) . David Cumming, head of UK equities, Standard Life Investments, said: "It is disappointing that because of liquidity issues and despite a strong capital position Bradford & Bingley has been forced into public ownership."

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/opinion/Gary-Evans-I-had-shares.4544786.jp
We would totally agree with everything said in the article.
Why handle Bradford and Bingley differently to Northern Rock when the procedure for compensation is set out in the 2008 Banking Act - that is its worth once the taxpayers done with it.
As 600millions already been raised from Santander and £400million is still left from the rights issue at the "discounted" 55p. That money should set a compensation level of 60p a share. Had santander offered £600million ans in 1 month 440 million had been spent it alone would have been a 48p strike out price and the key adviser in the Treasury Shriti Vadera must have had a price in mind when she began ringing HSBC and Santander on the Monday when the share price was 30p