RESIDENTS are campaigning against the planned closure of a ‘mainstay’ bank.

TSB has confirmed that its branch on Poplars Avenue in Orford will be permanently shutting its doors in May next year.

But customers have set up a campaign against the decision, Save Our Bank (SOB).

Petitions have been set up, while campaigners have written to Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols and TSB chief executive Debbie Crosby expressing their concerns.

One concerned resident said of the closure: “The bank is the mainstay for our community.

“It is one of the few banks I know that is always full, and every kind of person relies on it being local – pensioners, the vulnerable, businesses, children, all walks of life and especially under the current circumstances.

“The bank is not just about money, it’s a public service to many.

“I understand moving forward and going digital, but a lot of customers are not tech savvy.”

TSB told the Warrington Guardian that its customers were increasingly using online banking services, and that it had only 28 regular visitors to the Poplars Avenue branch.

A spokesman said: “The decision to close our Poplars Avenue branch was not taken lightly, but our customers are banking differently with a marked shift to digital banking.

“Customers can use the TSB branch in Buttermarket Street, which is 2.2 miles away.

“Additionally, we are working with the Post Office to ensure our customers can continue to access some banking services.

“The nearest Post Office is also on Poplars Avenue and under 0.1 mile away.”