BUSINESSES and shoppers in Eastham are urging Natwest to reverse a decision to close its branch in the village.

Customers received letters from the bank’s owner RBS, which said the branch in New Chester Road will close its doors for good on September 9. Falling footfall has been given as the reason behind the closure.

Once the bank closes, the nearest branch is more than three miles away in Greendale Road, Port Sunlight.

Eastham Liberal Democrat councillor Dave Mitchell has launched a petition, calling on the bank to reverse its decision.

He told the Globe: "Considering 80% of the bank is owned by the general public , there was no consultation on the proposed closure. There should have been.

“The bank goes on about internet banking being the future. The reality is, particularly in Eastham, that there are quite a few elderly people in the area, many of whom don’t have access to the internet.

"Having to walk three or four miles up to the next bank could be difficult for some.”

Cllr Mitchell, who has used the bank since moving to Eastham 46 years ago, continued: "My next door neighbour is 96 and she doesn’t know what she is going to do. She doesn’t use the internet.

“The funny thing is, I spoke to the regional manager who admitted that his own father doesn’t use the internet for banking, and he’s 74.

“Natwest’s got a very popular cashpoint and if that goes there will be nowhere for people to bank.

"I've heard RBS may give shops the chance to have a cashpoint installed and pay rent to do so. But this expensive and I’m not sure it would be taken up."

Jason Grey, who opened a tattoo store near the bank less than two years ago, said: “It will be a pain for us, because we are a cash only business, don’t have a card machine, so a lot of my customers use the Natwest cashpoint and I do my banking there. There are always queues outside the bank.”

Kerry Martin, who runs nearby Abstract Hair said the closure would be “a real inconvenience to customers and businesses.

“A lot of businesses use the bank to cash up. I hope Natwest listen to us and don't close."

Salon customer Lisa Mayes said: "It's terrible. I’ve lived in Eastham for 14 years and there’s always been a Natwest here. It should stay.”

Barry Chatten said: “I always use the cash machine and it’s not good that the bank is closing. I know a few people who work there; they live in Eastham.

"If it does close, I hope staff are relocated and keep their jobs."

A Natwest spokesman said: "We have taken the difficult decision to close the NatWest Eastham branch on September 9.

"We are working hard to ensure there are a number of alternative ways for people in the area to continue to bank with us including:

"We have reached an agreement with the local Post Office, which is 0.14 miles away from the branch so that our customers can check their balance, deposit and withdraw funds, and business customers can get coinage."

The spokeman added: "The number of transactions taking place at the branch has dropped in the last few years. Only 67 customers use the NatWest Eastham branch on a regular weekly basis. Of these customers, 27 already use other branches in the area."