AN announcement that Barclays Bank in Todmorden is to close has been received with dismay.

Local councillor Clarence Brown said: "It is a blow and anything like this that goes in Todmorden had to be very much regretted."

Coun Brown, vice-chairman of the town council's general purposes committee, said that although people in the town were concerned at the closure he did not think any campaign would be held to try to make the bank change its mind.

He said the population of Todmorden had fallen to 14,000 from 21,000 in 20 years, and the loss of any facilities hit them hard.

There are three other banks in the town.

The branch is due to close on April 7 along with 200 nationwide including the one at Earby, the only bank in the township.

A spokesman for Barclays said the closures followed a review of branches throughout the country.

The day to day use of branch facilities had fallen significantly and that combined with the increasing use of telephone and internet banking meant that branches such as those at Todmorden and Earby were no longer commercially viable.

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