RESIDENTS and traders in Bradford on Avon are up in arms after discovering that the town's only bank is to close.

Customers of Lloyds in Church Street were sent a letter informing them that the branch will close on May 16, a decision blamed on the rise in online banking.

Claire Hembrough, who owns Strawberry Blue in The Shambles, said: “It is really going to affect the elderly community in Bradford who don’t use online banking. The closest Lloyds branches are in Trowbridge, Bath and Melksham. Lloyds is apparently taking the cashpoint out too.

“Over Christmas I needed to bank takings and get change for the till. If I want to carry on doing that I will have to take it all to another branch, which I don’t like the idea of.”

Ruth Warren, owner of Fetch in The Shambles, said: "It is a shock and a worry for older people living here but for business owners it is a chance to be innovative.

"A number of places do cashback and maybe more should. There is also going to be another ATM installed in The Shambles, hopefully before the bank closes."

Michael Darlow, 82, chairman of the Bradford on Avon Senior Forum, said: “I only found out when I went in to open an account. It is the last bank in Bradford on Avon after HSBC closed about three or four years ago.

"It is very inconvenient for a lot of people that they will now have to go to Bath or Trowbridge. It will just make things harder for elderly people, disabled people and everyone else in the town.”

Councillors have agreed the change may cause issues for older residents and hope to meet with Lloyds to discuss the plans.

Deputy mayor Gwen Allison said: “I think we expected this. After the press on recent bank closures I think it was inevitable. We are looking at installing an ATM in the town centre so the council is investigating that option. A lot of elderly people live in Bradford who may not use online banking so we are going to talk to Lloyds about the plan.”

Lloyds claims that 93 per cent of its personal customers already use other branches. The bank also said that 71 per cent of its customers already use online or telephone banking.

A spokesman for Lloyds Bank said: “We have made the difficult decision to close the Bradford on Avon branch on May 16. This branch has been identified for closure because of the changing ways customers choose to bank with us, which has resulted in customers using it less often. The majority of customers also now regularly use alternative branches or online and telephone banking to complete their banking needs.

“We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause and have informed customers of the closest alternative branches.”