ANGER and disappointment has greeted news that Lloyds is to pull out of Stockbridge, leaving it without a bank.

Villagers attacked the decision, saying that it left them with an eight-mile journey to the nearest alternative branch.

Romsey MP Caroline Nokes, whose constituency covers Stockbridge, joined in the chorus of condemnation of the plan to axe the Lloyds branch next January.

Pensioner and Lloyds customer June Baseley said: “I think it is appalling they are going to close it. It’s quite heavily used and lots of people will be affected. It’s not only people in Stockbridge who use the bank, people from all the villages around use it too.”

A Lloyds spokesman said that the decision to close a branch was taken only after “very careful”

consideration. This included branch usage and the number of customers in Stockbridge.