Barclays: Banking giant shuts its Halifax town centre branch so customers now have to travel to Huddersfield or Bradford

Barclays on Commercial Street shut on Friday.

The move means the nearest branches for Calderdale customers are now in Huddersfield or Bradford.

On its website, the bank says: “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.”

It says 93 per cent of customers who used the branch have also banked using their app, online or by phone.

Less than 10 customers used the branch regularly as the only way to do their banking.

And 11 per cent of customers had used other branches in the last 12 months.

In a notice in the Halifax branch’s window, Barclays advises customers that they can use any Post Office to withdraw and pay in cash, deposit cheques and check their balances.

The Courier revealed that the branch would be shutting back in February.

Barclays had written to its customers then, saying: “The decision to close a branch is never easy and we appreciate this might not be welcome news but we’ll make sure you and your local community continue to have access to our banking services when you need them – it’ll just be in a different way.”