AS the death knell sounded for yet another bank this week there are fears it could leave some residents “disadvantaged and marginalised.”

With Haslemere’s banks now reduced to two from an original six, and the threat of the closure of the town centre post office in June, residents will be forced to travel miles for postal services if the current lease is not renewed.

Last week Lloyds Bank announced it is to close its Grayshott branch in October, leaving the village with no bank at all. The Bordon branch is also set to close in August.

The decision comes in the wake of bank statistics which showed almost three-quarters of personal customers in Grayshott and Bordon use other ways to bank including internet and telephone banking, with only 17 regular weekly personal and business customers in Grayshott, and 26 in Bordon.

Alternative Lloyds branches are in Haslemere and Liphook.

A Lloyds Bank spokesman said: “Customers in Grayshott will have their accounts realigned to Haslemere and customers in Bordon to Farnham.

And Lloyds has not shut the door on further closures, saying in a statement: “We have not announced any changes in relation to branches in Haslemere or Liphook. However, our plans are ongoing and we will not take the decision to close any branch lightly. If a branch is identified for closure, we will inform out colleagues and customers as soon as we are able to do so.”

But the decision to close the Grayshott branch has brought condemnation and warnings from East Hampshire District Council leader Ferris Cowper, who is the village’s councillor, and parish council chairman John Frankcom.

Mr Cowper said: “I am really disappointed Lloyds voted to close its branch and just as disappointed with the earlier decision to close the Nat West. I know people are increasingly using the internet but these branch closures create accessibility problems for people without access to the internet and risk creating a disadvantaged and marginalised sector of our society which is unacceptable.

“I really hope Lloyds will get in touch and offer its assistance in providing mobile banking or similar resources in the village.”

And Mr Francom said: “The parish council views the planned closure of Lloyds as another big blow to the village.”

Less than 18 months ago Grayshott lost its branch of Nat West - the premises of which still stand empty.”

Mr Frankcom also pointed out the problems posed by an infrequent bus service for those who do not or are unable to drive to alternative branches.

But he said Lloyds customers would still be able to carry out basic banking transactions at the village post office.

A Lloyds Bank employee who phoned The Herald last Wednesday after the closures were announced – and who did not want to be named – said he was “disgusted” by the way the staff had been treated. He said: “We were only informed of the impending closures today, and the four managers of Haslemere, Grayshott, Bordon and Liphook were pulled into a room and told only one of them is going to keep their job.”

All were told they would have to “re-apply for their jobs”. He added: “This is the nature of the industry we work in where job security and safety are things of the past.

“Staff didn’t have an inkling at all this was about to happen. There have been more changes over the past year to 18 months than in my previous 25 years in the industry. I’ve had enough of it and its no big loss to me, but there are people I work with who have only recently taken out mortgages and have only been given two month’s notice.”

The Lloyds’ spokesman said the numbers of job losses surrounding the bank closures couldn’t be confirmed.

He said: “It is our aim to try and redeploy as many colleagues affected by this announcement and who wish to remain with the business into an alternative role within the bank.”

In Haslemere, the HSBC bank will close on June 23 and the threatened closure of the West Street Post Office is expected in early July, leaving just Lloyds and Nat West in the town and Santander in Wey Hill open.

At Hasleway where negotiations continue to open a post office later this year, centre manager Kerry Morren-Jeffs said that the loss of a branch in Wey Hill had had a profound effect on older people in the town.

But she said “We need a Post Office here and one in the town.”