AN ABERAERON councillor has accused banks of “turning their backs” on high streets after it emerged that the town’s HSBC bank will close in September.

Cllr Elizabeth Evans, who met with HSBC’s area director and Wales director along with MP Mark Williams on Friday, claimed it became apparent that the closure was “a done deal”.

She said: “The decision had already been made and there was no going back on it; that was made very clear to us.

“Whatever argument I or Mark threw at them, they countered with evidence on how the branch was no longer viable. ‘We’re a business’, they said.

“The truth is banks no longer have an interest in town centre banking.”

Customers were told of the branch’s impending closure on Monday.

Cllr Evans said the two members of staff would be transferred to Lampeter or Aberystwyth and had sought assurances that their jobs would be safe.

The spokesperson added: “Unfortunately, with an increase in the use of online and telephone banking over the past few years, use of the Aberaeron branch has fallen significantly and we’ve taken the difficult decision to close the branch on 16 September."

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