AS Barclays bank in Machynlleth closed its doors for the final time on Friday, a row blew up about the state the Grade II listed building was left in.

Wooden boards have been put up covering the cash machine, night safe and opening times, and a hole can be seen in the wall of the listed building where a Barclays sign has been taken down.

Cllr Mike Williams has criticised the appearance of the bank, saying: “I’d like them to carry out some sympathetic restoration.”

A spokesperson for Barclays said: “We are aware of the damage behind our signage and have a project team currently on site to repair the damage.”

The government’s historic buildings watchdog, Cadw, says it is investigating.

The branch ceased trading at noon on Friday, leaving the town without a bank following the closure of NatWest in October 2017 and HSBC before that.

No jobs have been lost as a result of the closure.

“Your Machynlleth branch is now closed,” a sign says. “You still have plenty of options, including Online Banking and Barclays Mobile Banking, that are available 24 hours a day. If you’d like to use a different branch, please visit Tywyn, Dolgellau and Aberystwyth.”

Barclays told the Cambrian News that the boards they have put up are temporary until a new owner acquires the building, and that they will be painted over the next couple of days to blend better with the existing building.

See this week’s Machynlleth & Llanidloes paper for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition now