Elderly and vulnerable people in Brockley and Forest Hill will be forced to travel further to do their banking as a number of branches are set to close.

The Crofton Park and Forest Hill branch of Barclays are set to close due to more customers using online banking services, leaving hundreds of people without a local branch.

The Forest Hill branch will close June 29 and the Crofton Park branch will close July 6.

Community Banking Director of Barclays, Paul Turpin said: “At the Crofton Park branch customer usage has continued to decline and more than 80 per cent of the customers of the branch are already using online, mobile or telephone banking.”

The Forest Hill branch will close because in the past 12 months, 53% of branch customers have been using neighbouring banks instead.

This means residents will have to travel to either Catford, Lewisham or Peckham to talk to someone face to face.

Barclays has said that post offices will still provide banking services but only for small, everyday transactions.

Mr Turpin added: “All of our customers will receive a letter, our decision to close document and posters will be displayed in branch and colleagues will be on hand to assist customers with any concerns they may have.”

Barclays will be hosting ‘tea and teach’ sessions at the Crofton Park and Forest Hill branches for any customers wishing to explore alternatives to branch banking.

Residents in Crofton Park have started a petition to keep the bank, called “Stop closure of Barclays Bank in Crofton Park.”

The petition says: “The branch is used by our residents, who include elderly and vulnerable people who do not have access or an understanding of online banking.

“These customers need personal service and will find travelling to other branches problematic.”

This petition is supported by Crofton Park Labour councillors Cllr Pauline Morrison, Cllr Chris Barnham, and Labour council candidate Tauseef Anwar.

To see the petition click here.