THE closure of Barclays in Bridport is a ‘great blow’ as customers decide to move to a ‘safer’ bank.

The bank announced it will shut its doors on East Street in March following a decline in footfall, claiming only 249 customers use the Bridport branch exclusively for banking.

It means customers will have to travel to Dorchester as the nearest branch.

However, customers feel that is too far and will move to a bank that has a branch in Bridport.

Sheila Richards, a customer of Barclays, said: “I only went with them in the first place because my previous bank, the co-operative, closed its Bridport branch.

“I will bank with the Post Office from now on as it seems safer.

“I wonder, will we have any banks on the high street in a few years?

“I don’t want to do internet banking, I want to see a real person with a face when I have questions about my banking.”

Another customer, who didn’t want to be named, also said she would leave Barclays and use a different bank.

She said: “It’s a great blow.

“I can’t really get to Dorchester – its Dorchester or Yeovil that are the nearest ones – which are miles away.

“I haven’t really figured it out yet, but I will probably have to change banks.

“It is nice to be able to go in and talk to somebody rather than using the machines.”

Robert Muhl, president of Bridport Business Chamber of Trade, said the closure will have a ‘massive effect’ on the businesses and customers that use Barclays.

He said: “It is very sad to hear this and I wonder why a town as large as Bridport should lose such an established bank.

“This will have a massive effect on businesses who need and use the facilities, and also customers of a certain age who rely on their branch – very disappointing!”

A company spokesperson said that many of its Bridport customers now do the majority of their banking online or over the phone.

Chris Maynard, community banking director for Barclays Dorset and Solent, said: “The way customers undertake their banking is changing as people increasingly use online, telephone and mobile devices.

“At Barclays’ Bridport branch, customer usage has continued to decline and additionally, 74 per cent of our branch customers are also using other ways to do their banking, such as online and by telephone, which is why we have taken the difficult decision to close the branch.

“We hope that the availability of our nearest Barclays branches at Dorchester, Chard and Yeovil, access to services at any Post Office, including Granville House, West Street, Bridport, along with our range of digital channels will help ease the transition for our customers.

Barclays says its Bridport customers will receive a letter about the closure and posters will be displayed in branch.

It says it will be ‘proactively engaging’ with local businesses and the wider community to discuss the alternative ways customers will be able to undertake their banking locally, before the branch closes on Friday, March 29.