A Midlands town will loose its final bank branch with locals sad to see it go. Lloyds Bank in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, had around 1,081 customers per month but regulars won’t be able to use it anymore. The closure was confirmed over a year ago, with the bank saying most of its customers were using online banking instead.

Across the country, bank branches have continued to close, leaving communities without physical facilities. However, Tunstall has followed Stone, Cheadle and Rugeley in gaining a banking hub which has opened at the Post Office in Tunstall High Street. For customers who need face-to-face help, the hub will see different banks operating there throughout the week.

Tunstall High Street is home to several empty or shuttered shops, reports BBC.

Burslem resident Christine Wood told BBC she thought the closure was “terrible”.

“I’ve been a Lloyds customer 30 years. They’ve got a branch in Hanley, but they’re not staying this end of the city,” she said.

“The town is declining and without the banks, people don’t come in. I can remember walking up and down the High Street when you could get anything there, from DIY to food. Now you can’t.”

Lloyds says: “Before we close any branch, we look at how our customers are managing their money and using the branch.”

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The closure comes after hundreds of branches have closed in recent years, with plenty more closures announced for this year. Lloyds and Halifax are among the major UK banks that are shutting branches this month and through 2026.

Several high street banks are making similar moves as more and more customers move to online and mobile banking.

However, concern has been shared for older and vulnerable customers who might need in-person banking services.

Banks have reassured customers that services are easily available via official apps and websites.

A spokeswoman for Lloyds said: “From our leading apps and 24/7 messaging service to local banking options like our community bankers, PayPoint and access to all of our Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland branches, we’re giving our customers the flexibility to bank wherever and whenever they need us.”