BARCLAYS bank has announced it is going to close its branch in Stroud.

The branch, which is located in King Street, will shut on January 14, 2022.

Customers have been informed of the decision by letter.

Barclays claims it made the decision because customers were using it less often and the majority were now using alternative ways to bank.

It stated in a review that the counters at the Stroud branch had been 17 per cent quieter in the two years to March 2020.

It was also noted that personal use in the last year had been down by 30 per cent and business use was down by 34 per cent.

In a statement, the bank said the main reasons why the Stroud branch is closing are as follows:

• The number of counter transactions has gone down in the two years to March 2020, and additionally 89% of branch customers also use other ways to do their banking such as online and by telephone

• Customers using other ways to do their banking has increased by 14% since 2015

• In the past 12 months, 25% of this branch's customers have been using nearby branches

• Only 128 customers use this branch exclusively for their banking

Following the closure, the town will still have Lloyds, NatWest, HSBC, Santander, Halifax, plus the Post Office and Coventry Building Society.

The nearest Barclays branches are in Cirencester and Gloucester.

More to follow.