BARCLAYS will close one of its Herefordshire banks later this year, with the move described as disappointing by a local councillor.

The bank said only 44 customers regular customers use the Ross-on-Wye branch exclusively for their banking, with others turning to other services such as online banking.

But Ross West councillor Louis Stark said the closure on August 5 was disappointing for the town, but there was at least alternatives for local people.

Coun Stark said: "It's always disappointing to see bank branches go, because even with online activities there are still people who would like to go the branch and see human beings face-to-face to do their transactions. But I guess with online activities it's a matter of economics."

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He said there were a host of other banks in the town, such as Lloyds, Santander and HSBC, as well the Post Office in The Maltings, and Ross-on-Wye was arguably in a better position that other places in Herefordshire, such as Bromyard which only has one bank left.

Hereford Times: Ross West councillor Louis Stark has said the closure is disappointing. Picture: Rob Davies Ross West councillor Louis Stark has said the closure is disappointing. Picture: Rob Davies

"Maybe Barclays has taken that into account, that there are still quite a few banks around, and there's the Post Office where people can bank and withdraw cash," he added.

"Individual customers of Barclays might think it's a disappointment, but there are alternatives. I think any bank customer can go to the post office. I think banks are relying on that more and more."

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Giving its reasons for the closure of the Gloucester Road branch, Barclays said before deciding a closure, it thinks about how it was used.

It said it considered how many customers were visiting, what kind of transactions they made, and all other ways they had been banking. It also said it took the availability of other branches in the local area into consideration.

Barclays figures show the number of customers using other ways of banking had risen from 69 per cent to 80 per cent from 2015 to 2020, and in the last year 591 customers used the branch on 12 or more occasions.