A decision by Barclays to scrap a service allowing customers to withdraw cash at post offices, has been slammed by local politicians

Copeland MP Trudy Harrison has hit out at the bank’s decision, as has Tony Lywood, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for the borough.

From January next year, Barclays customers will no longer be able to use this service as it is being stopped.

Mrs Harrison says her constituents in Millom will be particularly devastated by the move.

She has written to Sir Ian Cheshire, chairman of Barclays, and will also be raising it as a matter of urgency with the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

“In Copeland, Barclays closed its branches in Whitehaven and Millom in March this year but I was given assurances at that time that customers would be able to continue to carry out everyday transactions at their local post office.

“Now, however, it seems that is not the case,” said Mrs Harrison.

“Post offices are the lifeblood of the high street and I hope this decision can be reconsidered in towns such as Millom where it will have a huge impact on its customers.“I have been contacted by many people in the Millom area complaining about this as there are limited other options available to them – including few cashpoints,” added the MP. “I am therefore asking for an exception to policy to be made for Millom in particular.

“By doing this I feel that Barclays is undermining its wider social responsibility to local communities and post offices. Copeland is a rural area and therefore we rely on services such as these.”

Mr Lywood, has also wrote a letter to Sir Ian Cheshire, saying: “In the town of Millom there is a Post Office but no banks. The last Barclay’s bank, which was also the last bank in Millom, closed last year.Without this service Barclay’s customers will be forced to make the trip to Barrow at great personal inconvenience.

“I understand that you are a private corporation seeking to make profits. But big banks should not just be profit machines, they should also seek to serve the interests of the communities they operate in. Please reverse this decision.”

Millom’s mayor Angela Dixon added: “Town councillors and myself are incredibly concerned about this further potential reduction in services in our town, and we are investigating what we, working with partners and the wider community, can do to pressure Barclay’s into changing its mind.”