LAST week's story in the Times about the TSB deciding to close their branches in Cardenden and Lochgelly should really not be a surprise.

After all these two branches have been reduced in availability for customers by a variety of moves by the bank over the past few years.

Basically the TSB has taken the decision to abandon small communities with the maxim that there is a branch in a bigger town only 10 or 15 miles away.

We the problem with that is that elderly people who rely on the bank being accessible are going to be left high and dry.

Dunfermline is probably the closest branch available but that is a trip on the Number 19 bus then a fair walk away which is really not good enough.

The senior citizens penalised by all this deserve to make the decision and close their accounts and move them to the Bank of Scotland or RBS.

To close one of the branches would have been bad enough for the Cardenden area now has a population in excess of 4,000. I would have thought that they could have got away with closing the Cardenden branch despite that situation but to choose to close both of the is crass.

Lochgelly Community Council's Stevie Murray was right to point out that there had been no real consultation before the decision was announced and that surely is wrong.

While it might not have made any difference at least it could have let people know what was in the wind instead of closure by stealth.

I honestly do not know what anyone can do other than accept the move and consider taking accounts elsewhere.

Losing some pretty weighty bank balances is the only way these people really learn that you cannot treat the public like that.

Both community councils have been left aghast at the way this has been dealt with and it simply does not seem that the bank is going to even give a proper explanation. They do not deserve the support of the local public.

BANK WORRY,

Cardenden.