BANKING giant Barclays has announced it is closing a Darlington branch.

The company will axe its Cockerton outlet, in West Auckland Road, in January.

Customers were informed through a letter, telling them to use the bank’s larger branch in High Row, Darlington, or travel to Newton Aycliffe and Yarm.

No jobs will be lost and the company said it took the difficult decision due to declining customers at Cockerton.

However, bank users said the move was a bitter blow for the Cockerton community.

Lynne Davidson, 56, of Auckland Avenue, has banked with Barclays all her life, but was extremely disappointed with the closure.

She said: “This is a sad day and we need to fight for it.

“It’s used by so many people and those who make the decisions have no respect for pensioners, this branch was convenient for them.

“High Row will be like too many cooks spoiling the broth with all the extra customers queueing for longer.”

A 75-year-old bank user, from Osborne Close, who wished to remain anonymous, said she felt let down.

She said: “When they told me I was furious, it will affect a lot of pensioners who found this branch so handy because it was on their doorstep.

“To have to go into town now will be so time consuming with the buses and bigger queues.”

Another customer, who runs a business in Cockerton, said he will leave Barclays because of the decision.

He said: “All they think about is online banking, but I deal with cash every day and the internet is no good to me.”

A Barclays spokeswoman said: “This decision has not been taken lightly and we appreciate it may inconvenience some customers.

“The branch has seen consistently declining customer numbers in recent years meaning it isn’t sustainable to keep open and by merging the branch we can provide a fuller service at High Row, which is undergoing a significant refurbishment.

“We will work hard to minimise the impact on customers, and staff at both branches will help customers with the change and to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.

“Barclays customers can use post offices for paying in and withdrawing money and there will be no job losses as all staff will be relocated to other branches.”