An MP has launched a petition to stop another bank "abandoning" a high street that has already seen four big banks and building societies leave.

Barclays has announced it will close its Crouch End branch on March 1, saying fewer customers are visiting the bank as more go online.

Catherine West, Labour MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, has launched a petition to save the bank in The Broadway following the closures of Halifax in April, NatWest in 2021, Santander in 2019 and Nationwide in October.

She said: “Here we go again. It’s only a few months since Halifax in Crouch End closed and now Barclays are doing the same.  

"This epidemic of banks making sky high profits but abandoning our high streets is terrible for the local economy, for businesses, charities, and for customers especially older and disabled people who still rely on speaking to someone face-to-face. 

"For years I’ve been urging the Government to protect essential in-person banking but they’ve failed to do so.  Our communities are paying the price of their inaction."

The MP is calling on Barclays to rethink the closure and on the Government "to step up and act to defend face-to-face banking".

She said banks sit at the "heart of their communities" and people rely on them.

Barclays said on its website that only 26 people used the bank regularly and 26% of customers used other branches in the last year.

It added: "Back when we opened this branch, visiting us in person was one of the only ways
to do your banking.

"Now, as there are lots of ways to manage your money without even leaving your home, we’re seeing many customers choosing to bank using our app, and online or telephone banking.

"This has had a big impact on the number of customers coming in to see us."

Barclays said people can bank online or use the Post Office and withdraw money at cash machines.

The bank said it will work the local community to understand the impact of closing this branch" and pledged to gather feedback and publish the results in a booklet called ‘Branch closure feedback’, available online at home.barclays/ukbranchclosures

To sign Catherine West's petition visit: https://www.catherinewest.org.uk/