HSBC closing Craven Arms branch sparks anger

A branch of the HSBC in south Shropshire will shut down in February next year, it was revealed today by banking chiefs who say it is no longer viable to keep the service in Craven Arms open. A branch of the HSBC in south Shropshire will shut down in February next year, it was revealed today by banking chiefs who say it is no longer viable to keep the service in Craven Arms open. But angry business leaders say without the bank they will have to travel out of the town to deposit money. Town councillors say the closure on February 10 will 'strike another nail into the town's coffin' and have called on HSBC bosses to reconsider. Bank spokesman Mark Hemingway said: "This was not an easy decision to make as our branch network is a very important part of our distribution channel. "We do need to ensure that they are in the right locations for our customers and on occasions this means that we need to close a branch where customer footfall has fallen dramatically or there has been a shift in customer shopping patterns. Read more in today's Shropshire Star