How will Steyning’s elderly cope when bank goes

I, too, found out on December 2 with no prior notice.

I was queuing behind an elderly lady who was in great distress at the closure news.

She was immobile and frail, and the kind cashier tried to explain to her how to use cash machines.

I am in the same position as Karin Lane. My parents also live in Steyning and are in their eighties (my mother having had a long and distinguished career within Lloyds Bank – hence I, my husband, our children and now our grand children have always banked with Lloyds).

Recently, I contacted Lloyds through social media to complain about this closure and received the expected platitudes – ‘we didn’t take this decision lightly and hope this will not cause you too much inconvenience’.

Hello Lloyds Bank – it won’t be an inconvenience to me, but will definitely be a major inconvenience to your many loyal elderly customers who have no way to use internet/telephone banking and find it difficult to understand or trust cash machines.

They need, as has always been provided in Steyning, a friendly and helpful person who they can talk to.

At the best, here, public transport is poor, and it is a fair stretch from the bus stop in Shoreham to the Lloyds branch there.

In no way can the elderly and infirm even consider it. I did suggest to the ‘understanding’ Lloyds rep on social media, possibly a weekly mobile bank could be arranged, as family members and friends in other rural areas enjoy.

But – apparently ‘that is not under consideration at the moment’ but they will note my comment.

Gillian Middleton

The Street

Bramber