A 'DISAPPOINTED' councillor is calling on a bank to prepare its customers for banking after its gone.

The Lloyds bank in Halstead announced it was closing down last week.

The closure will come as part of a wave of branch closures nationwide with 44 branches expected to close.

As a result, many residents who bank in the town could be left unsure about how to continue as normal.

But now Halstead's county councillor, Chirs Siddall, is calling on the Lloyds to explain to its customers what they can still do in the town when the bank closes.

Transactions such as paying cash and cheques can still be done in person by heading to the town's Post Office.

As a result, Mr Siddall is asking the bank to explain this.

He said: “The announcement of the Halstead Lloyds bank closure is really disappointing.

“Whilst many will see this as an inevitable move towards a cashless society, and many young people will find it difficult to remember the last time they set foot in a bank, the banks have a duty to think of the many elderly in our society who still rely on the local bank.

“The only saving grace is that many functions people used to use the local banks for paying in cheques and cash can now be done at the post office and I hope banks will be writing to their more vulnerable customers to make them aware of this.”