A BANK in Dorset will close its doors for good this week as customers continue to move online, changing the face of the high street. 

Lloyds bank in High Street, Shafetsbury, will close its branch on Tuesday, June 13 as part of a nationwide cull of high street banks. 

In a report explaining the decision to close, Lloyds said the Shaftesbury branch had just 94 regular customers in the year leading to July 2022. 

A spokesman for Lloyds said: “Like many other high street businesses, we’ve seen people using our branches less frequently in recent years as more customers choose to do most of their everyday banking online.  

Dorset Echo:

“We’re responding to the way our customers use our branches. We’ll continue to invest in our branch network, but we have to make sure our branches are where customers need and use them most.  

“As a result, we've made the difficult decision to close this branch because customers are using it less often.  

“In addition the majority of customers are also using alternative ways to bank.” 

The National Federation of SubPostmasters has said it will “doubtless be disappointing to Lloyd’s customers in Dorset”. 

It advised residents the nearest Post Offices to the branch, where banking provisions remain available, are in Coppice Street, The Street in Motcombe and Ludwell. 

A spokesman for the federation said: “Post offices are vital to retaining individual and business access to cash as the banks continue to desert the high street to cut costs and increase their profits.  

“Every post office plays a vital role within the heart of the local community. Post offices provide a reliable and essential service that has continued at a high standard throughout the UK throughout the pandemic.” 

Each Post Office offers deposits, free cash withdrawals and foreign currency exchanges.