METRO Bank has been opened by the mayor in Basingstoke town centre.

The new bank was opened on Friday, December 30 with Basingstoke and Deane’s mayor councillor Jane Frankum and deputy mayor Cllr Paul Frankum in attendance.

The Basingstoke store is the 48th branch of Metro Bank opened since the launch of the company in 2010. The premises opened in Festival Place over two days, with a party including live music, stilt walkers and family entertainment.

The mayor cut the ribbon, accompanied by managers and staff of the new bank.

Cllr Frankum said: “It’s good to see the new bank. There are lots of new facilities here and I’m pleased that they are taking a role in community life.”

The bank’s two-day celebration showed off the facilities in the building, such as a safety deposit box facility for valuables, as well as a magic money machine, which counts coins for customers and non-customers who come in to get rid of their old coppers. The machine also doubles up as a game, where you can guess the amount you put in before the total comes up to win prizes.

Regional director of Metro Bank, James Baughan said: “We really put the focus on the customer here. It’s about the experience of coming in and speaking to someone in a place that looks good. You don’t need an appointment, you can walk in and get served by people you know.”

“We run schemes for Key Stage 2 children in schools to help them out and get them used to the idea of saving and making use of money. We’ll also be running a business networking event that local business owners can attend. We are a community bank as much as we can be, and running these type of events is what we like to do.”

There is an area for patron’s dogs, where they can have a drink of water and stay inside.