LONDON: This year’s stress tests of Britain’s major banks will not become an excuse for regulators to ratchet up capital requirements without justification, a senior Bank of England (BoE) official said on Friday. The annual stress tests are designed to check banks have enough reserves to cope with future financial shocks so they will not need to be rescued using taxpayers money. Alex Brazier, executive director for financial stability strategy and a member of the BoE’s Financial Policy Committee risk watchdog, said the central bank was mindful of how setting capital requirements had real economic consequences.