BARCLAYS Bank have defended their decision to close their branch in Malmesbury by saying only 110 people use the High Street facility.

The town is in shock following the closing announcement when the doors will close on June 28. There has been more than two centuries of bank branches in the town when Luce &Co were in operation before the take-over by Wilts & Dorset in 1836.

In 2017 HSBC closed its branch.

Barclays said the reason was the number of transactions has gone down in the previous 24 months, as the vast majority of customers now bank on line.