A bank is to shut after seeing a massive drop in customers using the branch.
NatWest has announced the Humberstone Park branch in Uppingham Road, Leicester, will shut on September 5.
The bank said the number of people using the branch had dropped by a quarter since 2011.
It said more customers were using “alternative ways of banking” such as by telephone, in Post Offices, by smartphone and online and that there were now only 26 customers who used the branch every week.
But customers have expressed anger.
Gurmeed Kaur, 42, said: “I’ve been with the bank for years because it’s very close to my house.
“But there are other banks around so I’m just going to close my account.
“Everyone in my family uses this bank. This is a busy shopping street so I don’t know why they want to close the branch.”
Sukhjit Nanuwa, 58, of Houghton on the Hill, said: “I like this branch because it’s much easier to drop in here than going all the way into Leicester.
“I actually bank with RBS but this NatWest was always handy. Now I’ll probably have to go into the city.”
Nijahat Patel, 28, said: “I had no idea it was closing. I’m not happy about it. I’d prefer it if they kept it open.”
Paul Curtis, owner of The Card Shop, next door to the branch, said he did not think the closure would have a negative affect on the area.
He said: “Empty shops tend to go quite quickly around here.
“I think more people would use the branch if it was open longer – we get a lot of people coming in and asking how they get into the bank.
“It only opens from 10.30am until 2.30pm.”
A spokeswoman for NatWest said: “Over our whole branch network there has been a 30 per cent drop in branch transactions since 2010, while online and mobile transactions have grown by more than 200 per cent.
“When the branch closes, we are putting a number of measures in place to ensure our customers can still bank with us.
“We have an arrangement with the local Post Office, which is close to the branch, that allows our customers to withdraw cash, check balances and pay bills free of charge.
“Our customers will be able to deposit both cash and cheques in any of the Post Office’s 11,500 branches across the UK.
“We’ve advised staff and we’re writing to our customers at all these branches to make them aware of the closure.
“If customers are concerned about how this will impact their banking, they can go into the branch where staff will be happy to discuss the alternative options available.”
The news comes after Santander announced earlier this year that it is to close 11 of its outlets in the county.
