A MAJOR high street bank has announced it will shut its Pershore branch due to a "reduction in footfall".

HSBC, in High Street, will close for the last time on Friday, October 21, and staff will be "redeployed" to other branches.

Customers will face a trip to Evesham or Worcester to access a branch, or they can use the Post Office at Tesco Express in Pershore High Street.

Councillor Bob Gillmor, Mayor of Pershore, said the closure will "exacerbate" queues already experienced at the Post Office.

He said: "It is a great shame. It is going to reflect badly on Pershore - another empty unit.

"It is going to impact a lot of people, as I know there is a lot of HSBC customers in the town.

"It is a sad loss of the banking facility, it is a sad loss of use of a building in a prime location in the town centre."

The cash machine will also discontinue use once the bank has closed.

A HSBC spokesman said: "We continually review our branch network to make sure our branches are in the right locations for our customers and we have a sustainable network for the future.

"Over the past five years, we have seen an overall reduction in footfall at our branches of more than 40 per cent, and sometimes we have to make the difficult decision to close branches.

"These are not decisions we take lightly and we work closely with those impacted, including customers and staff, to help them understand their options.

"We understand branch closures may cause concern for some of our customers.

"We have put in place a number of measures to help, including a partnership with the Post Office, so our customers can still carry out their day to day banking.

"Any employees directly impacted by the closure of the branch can be redeployed to other branches."