A MILLOM bank will close its doors within three months, leaving customers with a 50-mile round trip to see an advisor face-to-face.

The HSBC branch will shut on January 6, with the bank saying the decision is due to numbers visiting the Market Square base falling by more than a quarter over the last five years.

Millom is the latest branch HSBC is closing in south Cumbria, with the Windermere and Ulverston branches due to shut on October 21 and November 25 respectively.

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Since 2010, HSBC has shut branches in the following locations:

- Grange

- Ambleside

- Kirkby Stephen

- Silloth

- Maryport

- Aspatria

- Egremont

- Carlisle

- Longtown

- Alston

'Falling footfall'

HSBC customers in Millom will receive letters about the closure and what the alternatives are.

A spokeswoman for the bank said: "We continually review our branch network to make sure our branches are in the right locations for our customers and we have a sustainable network for the future.

"Over the past five years, we have seen an overall reduction in footfall at our Millom branch of more than 25 per cent, and sometimes we have to make the difficult decision to close branches.

"These are not decisions we take lightly and we work closely with those impacted, including customers, to help them understand their options.

"With regard to the Millom branch, we have advised our customers that there is an alternative branch located in the nearby town of Barrow-in-Furness, should customers wish to visit a branch and talk to a member of the HSBC team face to face."

'Disappointing decision'


Cllr Burness. Councillor Denise Burness, a representative on Millom Town Council and Copeland Borough Council, has voiced her concern about the decision, saying elderly people, in particular, prefer to see financial advisors in person and will struggle to make the long journeys to Barrow.

She said: "Any reduction in services is always going to have its casualties and people who don't have access to internet banking and don't have cars will be affected. They may have bus passes but there aren't enough buses.

"There's an ill considered belief that we have still got the Barrow branch and that it's only down the road. It will discommode some people.

"They are closing altogether. It would be better even if they keep one day open.

"Any reduction is always sad for any community because there will be people who miss out."

Two members of staff work at the Millom branch and the HSBC spokeswoman said they were looking to redeploy them to other branches.

Research by HSBC shows that 93 per cent of contact with the bank is now completed via the telephone, internet or smartphone, and 97 per cent of cash withdrawals are made via an ATM.

A partnership is in place with the Post Office, which is two doors down from the Millom branch, so customers can still carry out some of their day-to-day banking in the town.