Barclays to close London bank with just one customer who refuses to go online

Peter Wisby, 84, is the only regular customer at the Barclays branch on Tower Bridge Road in Bermondsey, south east London.

Ross McGuinness
Updated ·3-min read
Peter and his wife Eileen Wisby. See SWNS story SWLNbank - Barclays are closing a branch because they have only one regular customer, but the one regular customer claims the bank is lying. Peter Wisby, 84, struggles with mobility after he lost his leg in a 2003 motorbike accident and without a phone or laptop he cannot use online banking. Barclays announced only one regular customer uses the Bermondsey branch as their only way to do their banking, and this is Peter. As a result they are closing the Tower Bridge Road services. Peter and his wife Eileen Wisby, 81, are furious because their nearest branches are each around two miles away and they will struggle to get to either every week. Southwark’s last two remaining branches, on Borough High Street and Rye Lane, are far beyond walking-distance, as is the Fenchurch Street branch near Whitechapel.
Eileen and Peter Wisby refuse to use online banking. (SWNS)

Barclays is to close one of its branches in London because it only has one regular customer.

Peter Wisby, 84, uses the branch on Tower Bridge Road in Bermondsey, south east London, for all his banking.

However, the pensioner has never used the internet and doesn't have a smartphone - so relies on the branch to organise his finances.

But now Barclays plans to close the branch, saying Mr Wisby is the only customer who uses it regularly without also doing online or telephone banking.

He struggles with his mobility after losing a leg in a motorbike accident 20 years ago.

Barclays Bermondsey branch. See SWNS story SWLNbank - Barclays are closing a branch because they have only one regular customer, but the one regular customer claims the bank is lying. Peter Wisby, 84, struggles with mobility after he lost his leg in a 2003 motorbike accident and without a phone or laptop he cannot use online banking. Barclays announced only one regular customer uses the Bermondsey branch as their only way to do their banking, and this is Peter. As a result they are closing the Tower Bridge Road services. Peter and his wife Eileen Wisby, 81, are furious because their nearest branches are each around two miles away and they will struggle to get to either every week. Southwark’s last two remaining branches, on Borough High Street and Rye Lane, are far beyond walking-distance, as is the Fenchurch Street branch near Whitechapel.
The Barclays branch in Bermondsey, south east London, that is closing down. (SWNS)

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The closure will leave him and his wife, Eileen, 81, with a two-mile trip to the two remaining nearest branches.

The couple say they don't take money out from cash machines "because it's too dangerous" and avoid using online banking because they fear they will be the victims of a scam.

They said they were recently scammed by someone using their bank account to buy hundreds of pounds worth of goods online from Just Eat and Debenhams.

Mr Wisby said: "They say people aren’t using the banks but it’s because they are putting obstacles in the way all the time.

“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 on to cards because it’s in their interests.

"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.

“The more you use the system the banks are forcing on us the more it’s easy for people to do fraud.”

Mrs Wisby said: “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'."

A Barclays spokesperson said: "We do have more than one customer who uses the branch to undertake their banking.

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Barclays Bermondsey branch. See SWNS story SWLNbank - Barclays are closing a branch because they have only one regular customer, but the one regular customer claims the bank is lying. Peter Wisby, 84, struggles with mobility after he lost his leg in a 2003 motorbike accident and without a phone or laptop he cannot use online banking. Barclays announced only one regular customer uses the Bermondsey branch as their only way to do their banking, and this is Peter. As a result they are closing the Tower Bridge Road services. Peter and his wife Eileen Wisby, 81, are furious because their nearest branches are each around two miles away and they will struggle to get to either every week. Southwark’s last two remaining branches, on Borough High Street and Rye Lane, are far beyond walking-distance, as is the Fenchurch Street branch near Whitechapel.
Barclays said Peter Wisby was the only regular customer at this Bermondsey branch. (SWNS)

"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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