Thatcham loses another bank

NatWest branch shut its doors on Monday

THATCHAM has lost another bank following the closure of the NatWest branch in High Street on Monday.

NatWest said that transactions in the branch had reduced by 49 per cent since 2012, with only 34 customers visiting on a weekly basis. It added that 67 per cent of customers were now banking digitally instead.

NatWest has created a new community banker role to support customers transitioning to online banking. Christine McElhill will cover Thatcham and will be available in Thatcham Library on Thursday between 9.30am and 11.30am.

She can be contacted on 07552 260250 or via christine.mcelhill@natwest.com

Two staff at the Thatcham branch have been made redundant – Jackie Dry and Deanne Wagstaff, having given a combined 56 years service.

Mrs Dry joined NatWest in 1982, first working at the Newbury branch and then Thatcham since 2006.

Mrs Wagstaff joined NatWest in 1997 at the Theale telephone centre. Over the past 21 years she has managed branches including Basingstoke, Wokingham, Maidenhead, Slough and Newbury.

NatWest thanked Mrs Dry and Mrs Wagstaff for their excellent service over the years.

The NatWest closure follows HSBC closing its branch in the Broadway in 2016.

Plans have been passed to covert half of the building into a Coral's bookmakers.