Madam,

The forthcoming closure of the ‘last bank in town’, Barclays in Tywyn, will be an act of community vandalism. First of all we will miss the hard-working, friendly staff. Once again, jobs are being lost in rural Wales.

We are years away from living in a cashless economy outside the largest cities, so already hard-pressed local businesses will either have to travel further for essential cash transactions at greater expense in money and time, or use the Post Office, where the queues will grow in spite of the best efforts of the wonderfully efficient staff there.

Internet banking is the preferred option of a minority in towns like ours, where those of us over a certain age welcome daylight and those small social interactions that make for a good community.

Of course, we must campaign to keep the closing bank’s cash machine, whilst recognising that on those days when the rain pours and the queue grows before ‘out of service’ comes up, it is a poor substitute for humanity.

Yours etc, Quentin Deakin, Tywyn town councillor, Corbett Avenue, Tywyn.

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