Jérôme Kerviel was making a €2.2bn ($3.2bn) loss as long ago as July 2007 using allegedly unauthorised trades that ultimately caused a record €4.9bn trading loss for Société Générale, his spokesman said yesterday.

The size of the losses Mr Kerviel was making eight months ago - he ended up closing those positions for a profit of €1.4bn at the end of last year - is likely to prompt more questions about the French bank's trading room supervision.