A BANK in a north Hampshire village will close this autumn due to falling levels of custom.

Barclays said customer usage at its branch in High Street, Odiham, had fallen by more than 60 per cent since 2008.

The branch will close on October 9, and the bank said that staff will be offered roles at other locations, with no redundancies.

The nearest branch for Odiham villagers is in Fleet, some seven miles away.

Matthew Bell, Barclays Community Leader for Odiham, said banking is changing, with more people accessing services online.

He added: "At Odiham branch, customer usage has declined by more than 60 per cent since 2008 and nearly 60 per cent of our customers are already using other branches.

"This figure is even higher for our business customers, which is why we have taken the difficult decision to close the branch on October 9, 2015.

"Our colleagues at our Odiham branch have been consulted about the change and will be given the opportunity to work at a nearby branch.

"We hope that the availability of nearby branches, access to services at the local Post Office and our range of digital channels will help to ease the transition for our customers."

The announcement follows a meeting between Ranil Jayawardena, MP for North East Hampshire, and Mr Bell and Julia Husband, head of corporate relations, South West, earlier this month.

Mr Jayawardena said: "Banks in rural areas such as Odiham make life a lot easier for those who cannot travel independently; that’s why I was dismayed to hear that Barclays in Odiham is closing.

"I was glad to meet with Julia Husband and Matthew Bell where I urged them to ensure that older and more vulnerable groups have a smooth transition - particularly given that 40 per cent of customers have been identified as solely reliant on the branch."

The bank said that all customers will receive a letter about the closure, and that posters will be displayed at the branch.

Personal customers will be able to withdraw cash at the Post Office in Odiham, but cash deposits will have to be made at the Post Office in Grand Parade, Hook.

Jon Hale, chairman of Odiham Parish Council, described the announcement as "extremely sad news".

He added: "I personally would be extremely disappointed to see one of our retail shops change from a retail site.

"For a High Street to be vibrant and viable and maintain its character, we need to have shops, and Barclays is a well known bank and brings people into the village."