A BANK has decided to close a local branch, claiming it is not commerically viable for it to continue.

The HSBC in Windermere will shut on October 21, the latest of several banks to close nearby branches in recent years.

HSBC customers will now have to travel to Kendal for the nearest branch due to the closure of the Ambleside branch in 2012.

Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, has written to HSBC, asking them to reconsider.

He said: "The branch serves a rural population with a high proportion of elderly residents. For elderly people who have never used a computer, moving to online banking is simply not an option."