Flitwick residents devastated at loss of bank and Post Office

A town's only bank has closed just months after its Post Office shut. Barclays shut its branch in Flitwick on Friday while the Post Office counter, which was inside a store on the High Street, closed on 31 December. Nearby banks remain in Dunstable and Bedford, Barclays said.

What do residents make of the closures?

Richard Wilson owns UK Camera Store, which was in between both the Post Office and Barclays before their closures.

The 42-year-old said the business used a lot of the bank's services over the past 20 years.

He said it had been "a really bad time" for the town.

"The Post Office and Barclays were beacons in the local area," he said.

"People would come into Flitwick, go to the bank and do some shopping in the local shops.

"Unfortunately that's not going to happen now. They will go to Bedford or Milton Keynes instead."

Mr Wilson said those were the two places he would also have to travel to in order to deposit cash.

"It's about an hour round journey," he said.

"It's something we don't want to do but with no branch here, we haven't got much choice."

Malcolm Lane visited the bank on Friday to pay a cheque in, as he usually does.

He said the closure was "disgraceful".

"The town has now got nothing - no bank, no Post Office.

"I'll have to go to Bedford, which is obviously inconvenient."

The 81-year-old said he did not have access to online banking so needed a physical branch.

"I've got no alternative," he said.

"I haven't got a computer, apps, or anything. I still pay my bills by cash."

Sheila Davis said the bank's closure would not only affect people in Flitwick, but also those living in the surrounding villages.

"This is the nearest bank," the 84-year-old said.

"It's going to have a big impact on any old-age pensioner in this town.

"I will have to hope that I can get cash at Tesco as I don't like using the machines outside, I don't feel safe when I use them.

"I've never done online banking and I'm not going to start now."

Rutendo Chinyani said she would use the bank often as she worked in the town.

"It's devastating really," the 29-year-old said.

"Now they're closing I don't know what I'm going to do.

"I will have to travel somewhere else which is a bit of an inconvenience."

A Barclays spokeswoman said the company was "committed to deploying a range of more flexible ways that customers can physically interact with the bank".

She said it had a "commitment to customers and the local community, albeit in a different environment".

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