Disappointment as HSBC bank announces it is closing in St Annes

But among those we spoke to, there seemed to also be an air of reluctant acceptance that such closures, amid a rapid switch to online banking, exacerbated by lockdown, is “the way of the world”.

The St Annes branch, in a Grade II-listed landmark building in the town’s Square, is among 69 HSBC branches to shut its doors for the last time later this year. It will close on September 22, with customers directed to the nearest branch in Oxford Square, Blackpool or the Post Office.

It will leave St Annes with four banks – Barclays, NatWest, Halifax and Santander plus the Skipton Building Society – while neighbouring Lytham has just Lloyds and Fylde’s other town, Kirkham, already has no banks.

St Annes resident Tracey Hope said: “It’ll be disappointing to see another one go. I’m an RBS customer and they closed in St Annes, Lytham, Kirkham and Blackpool so there is no local branch. They direct you to NatWest but is it only a matter of time before that closes as well?

"There’s internet banking but It’s nicer face to face and we seem to be losing that across so many industries.”

Barry Williams had travelled to the St Annes branch from Blackpool and said: “Internet banking doesn’t interest me. I feel it’s safer paying money in with counter staff face to face.”

Neil Menzies from St Annes said: “It’s just the way it seems to be going. Even when branches are open, there are queues as staffing levels aren’t what they used to be.”

Long time HSBC customer Paul Hickton said: “It’ll be really sad to see it go, but it just seems to be the way of the world these days.”

A former HSBC employee who was using the bank as a customer and didn’t wish to be named said: “I’ll be so sorry to see it close. I retired a few years ago after 30 years with the company and the message then was to guide customers towards banking on line and using machines.”