RESIDENTS and businesses will suffer if HSBC closes Milford’s last bank, claim campaigners.

More than 50 placard-waving protesters were at the Church Hill bank – home of the village’s only cash machine – yesterday morning opposing the closure on June 24.

A letter to customers started with the words: “At HSBC we are constantly evolving and developing our services to help you do your banking at a time and place that suits you.”

Solicitor Hugh Whitlock said: “Excuse me, they are shutting it, not changing it.”

His wife, parish councillor Sue, added: “It seems like an absolute insult for them to fly in the face of the village.

“They have told the customers they will have 24-hour internet banking, but most pensioners do not have computers.”

One pensioner, Shirley Headley, gave three reasons why HSBC should not close the branch: “The community feel, the shops will suffer and people will have to travel further.

“We will have to take a bus and that costs £5 to Lymington, which adds a lot to our costs.”

Milford used to have two banks, a building society and population of about 3,000.

“Now it’s got 5,000 and won’t have a bank,” she added.

Nici Illgher and husband Lionel reently bought three businesses in Milford.

“We’ve just moved our accounts from NatWest to HSBC because we can’t get out of the village during the day, and they didn’t tell us anything.”

Protest organiser Helen White, who has a 1,000-plus signature petition, said people drove to Milford for its “diverse range of shops” because parking was easy. Closing the bank would be the “death of the community” she claimed.

HSBC said the branch was “one of the most underused in the country”.

“We are working with the small number of customers who use the branch to see if we can help them reorganise their finances ahead of the closure.

“We are investigating leaving the ATM, subject to identifying a suitable location in the town.”