Barclays is set to close a town centre branch.

The bank has announced it will shut its doors on East Street, Bridport, in March next year. 

It means customers will have to travel to Dorchester as the nearest branch. 

A company spokesman says the reason for the closure is falling footfall, claiming only 249 customers use the Bridport branch exclusively for banking.

Chris Maynard, community banking director for Barclays Dorset and Solent, said: “The way customers undertake their banking is changing as people increasingly use online, telephone and mobile devices. At Barclays Bridport branch, customer usage has continued to decline and additionally 74 per cent of our branch customers are also using other ways to do their banking such as online and by telephone, which is why we taken the difficult decision to close the branch."

“We hope that the availability of our nearest Barclays branches at Dorchester, Chard and Yeovil, access to services at any Post Office including Granville House, West Street, Bridport, along with our range of digital channels will help to ease the transition for our customers."

Barclays says its Bridport customers will receive a letter about the closure and posters will be displayed in branch.

It says it will be 'proactively engaging' with local businesses and the wider community to discuss the alternative ways customers will be able to undertake their banking locally, before the branch closes on Friday, March 29, 2019.