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A business owner in south Essex has started a petition protesting against the closure of a high street bank in her town.

Lloyds in Hadleigh is the town's last remaining bank and will close at the end of July 2022.

Justine Morrell, from Heartfelt Balloons, says the branch is still in demand and says there's no alternative for her and other firms.

Lloyds has told ´óÏó´«Ã½ Essex in a statement:

“We’ve seen far fewer people visit our Hadleigh over several years, with customers now choosing to do their banking in different ways.

When the branch closes on the 14th of September, customers can continue to bank in person with us at the local Post Office which is a short walk away, as are several free-to-use ATMs."

The Spokesperson also added that transactions at the branch fell over 67% between 2017 and 2021, and then fell by a further 15% in 2021 - and that the post office and ATM's are available within walking distance for banking needs.