Way to save town bank

From: Andy Wright, Knaresborough.

I, LIKE the majority of people living in Knaresborough, am very concerned about the announcement that Barclays will close its branch in Knaresborough. However concern will do no good. Wishing that banks will keep their branch open is pointless. Banks are commercial organisations which react to the financial situation. They have no loyalty to customers and customers should have no loyalty to them.

The only way Knaresborough can keep its last remaining bank, Halifax, is if that bank perceives it is in its own financial interest to remain here. If a significant number of residents and businesses closed their existing bank accounts with banks that have left Knaresborough and opened a Halifax account, that will have more effect than any amount of lobbying, persuading or getting reassurances.

My estimate is that if 400 or more accounts were opened with Halifax, then their management would have a real financial incentive to stay in Knaresborough. I will be doing that and I urge others to do the same before Knaresborough is left without any banks.