A HEARTLESS LACK OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

RETIRED civil engineer Stewart Hillen is married to Jane, 79, a retired teacher. The 82- year- old says: ‘I believe banks have a social responsibility to serve the communities from which they make their money.

‘When there is just one remaining bank in town, it should not be allowed to close because it can have a devastating effect.

‘ We are fortunate because we have a car and can drive to towns where there is a bank, but many people – some elderly, others vulnerable – do not have their own transport. They feel abandoned and isolated.’

The next nearest town, Hertford, is only three miles away, but without a car, people must use public transport.

Severely reduced services during lockdown have meant a reliance on others to help out.

Although there is still a post office counter at the back of a newsagent on Ware’s high street, there are often long queues and social dist ancing means going t here is impractical for many elderly people to use.

Saffron Building Society maintains a branch in Ware that commendably remained open during lockdown.

But it doesn’t draw the same number of customers as a bank – and doesn’t offer key services, such as current accounts.

A Barclays poster, put up when the branch closed on April 24, states: ‘This branch has now closed. But your options are still open.’

These options include banking online, phoning up, downloading a mobile app or taking a chance and visiting a post office counter for more limited services.

Last year, Barclays drew up plans to stop its customers withdrawing cash from a post office – but the idea was scrapped after a public outcry. What seems doubly wrong about the banks’ withdrawal from Ware is that they have also removed their free cash machines.

It means the only ATM on the high street sits outside a small convenience store – and charges a 99p fee to get hold of your own cash.

Do the banks care about the communities they draw their customers from?

The answer in Ware is a resounding ‘no’.

It’s wrong, short-sighted, destructive and someone should do something about it pretty damned quick – before ‘ghost’ high streets like Ware become the norm.