Cleobury Mortimer's Lloyd's Bank to close for final time this week

A bank will close a town branch later this week, after talks to save it failed.

Lloyds Bank, in Cleobury Mortimer, will shut its doors for the final time on Thursday.

Local councillors and Philip Dunne, MP for Ludlow, had called on the bank executives to reconsider the closure.

Dorothy McBride, locum clerk to Cleobury Mortimer Town Council, said: "Talks involving councillors and Philip Dunne MP took place about the possibility of keeping the branch open.

"We met with representatives of the bank and with the MP.

"However, there is no way back from the branch closing later this week and it is an absolute loss.

"There are still a lot of people who use cash as well as smaller businesses.

"A lot of people opened accounts with Lloyds which had a visible presence.

"Now people will have to go to the Post Office or to Kidderminster for their banking services.

"They are also taking out the ATM and so there will no longer be a 24-hour service where people can withdraw money.

"It is very disappointing."

Meanwhile, members of The National Federation of SubPostmasters have said that although the move will be disappointing to Lloyds customers, alternative banking provision is available at post office branches both in the town and at Far Forest and Clows Top.

In a statement the federation said that Post Offices were now proving vital to retaining individual's and businesses' access to cash as banks continued to "desert the High Street in order to cut costs and increase profits".

They added: "Every Post Office plays a vital role within the heart of the local community. They provide a reliable and essential service which has continued at a high standard across the whole of the UK throughout the pandemic."