The Barclays that has just ONE customer: Banking giant to close south London branch because it is only regularly used by a disabled 84-year-old man who refuses to go online
- Peter and Eileen Wisby will face a two mile trip if the Bermondsey branch closes
- Mr Wisby is the only customer at the bank who does all his banking in person
Barclays are to close a High Street branch after it emerged there is only one regular customer who does all his banking there.
Although other people use the branch on Tower Bridge Road in Bermondsey, south east London, only Peter Wisby, 84 uses it for all his banking.
Mr Wisby, who lost his leg in a 2003 motorbike accident, has never used the internet and doesn’t have a smartphone.
He struggles with mobility and the closure will leave him and his wife Eileen, 81, with a two mile trip to the two remaining nearest branches.
Peter Wisby (right) and wife Eileen (left) have never used the internet and refuse to use a cash machine because it is ‘too dangerous’
The branches on Borough High Street and Rye Lane, in Southwark, are far beyond walking-distance, as is the Fenchurch Street branch near Whitechapel.
Last week, a reporter attending the bank saw at least six people queuing to use its services, the majority of whom were waiting to speak to a member of staff on a till.
The couple already had to bank further away from home when the Southwark Park Road Barclays closed a few years ago.
They will not take money out from a hole in the wall ‘because they are too dangerous.’
Neither Mr or Mrs Wisby have ever used the internet and they refuse to try online banking.
The most up-to-date piece of technology they have is Eileen’s mobile which she can ‘just about send a text on.’
Both fear being scammed and worry that moving to online and mobile banking makes them more vulnerable.
A Barclays member of staff normally does all the work for them but Mr Wisby says the bank is lying when it says he is the only regular customer.
He said: ‘They just tell a pack of lies. They say people aren’t using the banks but it’s because they are putting obstacles in the way all the time.
‘For example, they keep closing the tills with people on and telling us to use the machines, I say I’m not going to use the machines because I am putting you out of work.
‘Over the last year they deliberately shut the tills down, and then reluctantly they will open the till when I kick up a fuss.
‘They want to force us onto cards because it’s in their interests.
‘They said in a letter that “it’s in our interest”. Well how in God’s name is it in our interest if you shut it down?
‘I said to the women who work there: “What are you going to do when they shut it down?”
‘They said they were promised it wouldn’t get shut down, but sure enough, they have to leave now.
‘You get a lot of people and they just have a natural aptitude with a keyboard and I’ve never tried online banking, I refuse to do it.’
Mrs Wisby explained it would be really difficult for either of them to get to the next closest branches.
She said: ‘They said in the letter it was Borough High Street or Fenchurch Street, there’s no way we can get to either one every week.
‘I could use the Post Office to get money out but we won’t use machines because it’s too dangerous.
‘But that’s only a little Post Office, so what if they shut that one down?
Although other people use the branch on Tower Bridge Road in Bermondsey (pictured), south east London, only Mr Wisby uses it for all his banking
‘They’re trying to force this banking online on us, I’ve got a mobile that my grandkids bought me, and I can use it to text.
‘They said they’d show me how to bank online on it, I said “no way”.’
They were recently the victims of a scam, involving someone using their account to buy hundreds of pounds worth of goods online from Just Eat and Debenhams.
Peter said: ‘The other week [we] were looking at the bank statement read out and it had £150 Just Eat and £150 Debenhams, both online, and we don’t use online.
‘The more you use the system the banks are forcing on us the more it’s easy for people to do fraud.’
A Barclays spokesperson said: ‘We do have more than one customer who uses the branch to undertake their banking.
‘However, we have identified that only one customer uses this branch regularly as the only way in which they interact with us. i.e. they do not bank by telephone, online or by mobile or use any other branches.
‘Our customers’ behaviour has changed significantly in recent years, with the majority now choosing online banking.
‘This is reflected at Bermondsey Tower Bridge Road branch, and as we adapt, we are finding new ways to support our customers by maintaining our community presence with options for customers who still require in-person support.
‘We plan to open a Barclays Local – a pop-up cashless banking site where customers can meet a colleague face-to-face for banking support, as they would in a branch and without the need to travel.
‘We are currently working with the local community to identify a suitable location and will announce details once confirmed.’
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