YOU recently reported that the NatWest is closing its New Milton Branch on the grounds that the number of in-branch transactions has fallen by 43 per cent since 2010, and online banking has seen a surge of 40 per cent in the past seven years.

You omitted to report that the Boscombe and Canford Cliff Branches were also closing in October.

Even if the statistics are correct they are national ones and are not necessarily replicated locally, especially as this area has an older population who may not use those facilities.

All I do know is there is invariably a queue of customers when one uses the Boscombe branch.

NatWest says it is keeping the Southbourne branch open in preference to its Boscombe branch. The fact one can always find somewhere to park in Boscombe whereas s in Southbourne the opposite is the case shows how the bank’s reasoning is so flawed.

No doubt in due course that branch will be closed on the grounds of inadequate use by its customers.

NatWest customers are being taken for granted, but the remedy lies in their hands.

Brian V Newman

Manor Road, Bournemouth