North Shropshire by-election: Banks have abandoned town, says candidate

Labour's Ben Wood said several people told him they felt services in the town were being eroded.

Mr Wood said he would be demanding an urgent meeting with the major banks if he is elected.

Ellesmere lost its last high street bank when TSB closed its doors earlier this year, with HSBC and NatWest previously leaving the town.

Residents are now only able to withdraw cash when the Co-op or Post Office are open.

Mr Wood said poor local bus services meant those without access to a car now had to take a two-hour round trip to visit their nearest bank.

He said: "Since the closure of the last high street bank earlier this year, I know that many people are feeling that they’ve been abandoned.

"The Conservative government have broken their promise to level-up high streets like Ellesmere. The town is growing but local services are shrinking.”