HSBC has confirmed that it will close its Overton branch later this year.

The banking giant will shut the branch in Winchester Street on September 25 after operating on the site for over 20 years.

The closure, which will not result in any job losses, also includes the removal of the building’s external cash machine.

That will mean Overton residents will have to make a 15-mile round trip to Basingstoke to access their nearest HSBC branch.

However the bank say they have had to make the “difficult decision” and claim it is due to a “significant fall in use”.

A spokesman for HSBC said: “We never take the decision to close a branch lightly, and we understand it is unsettling for the local community.

“Unfortunately, use of the Overton branch has fallen significantly over the past few years, and we’ve taken the difficult decision to close it.

“We are working with customers who use the branch to help them understand their options which include being able to use Overton Post Office to check their balance and withdraw and pay in cash and cheques to their HSBC account.”

The news has upset many in the village including Overton Parish Council chairman, Ian Tilbury, who said: “It will have a massive impact on the Post Office who will have to cater for the increase in demand.

“The cash machine issue is also a blow because the next nearest one is in the Co-Op but that is indoors and only accessible when the shop is open.

“It is also unfortunate for shops, businesses and the elderly who rely on easy access to the bank.

“We have written to them asking them to reconsider their decision but it isn’t a consultation. They have already made their minds up.”

The branch is not the only one in a north Hampshire village that is earmarked for closure.

In July Barclays announced it is to close its branch in High Street, Odiham, in October.

The bank also said that customer use of the branch had declined in recent years.