ANGRY residents may threaten to lobby their local authority to move its bank account if they cannot get assurances their village's bank will remain open.

Last month, Barclays Bank announced it would be closing its branch in Middleton-in-Teesdale for two days a week because of a decrease in the number of customers.

However, residents feel this could be a precursor to closing the bank altogether and are seeking guarantees that will not happen.

Durham county councillor John Shuttleworth says he has seen the effect of bank closures on rural communities in Weardale.

He told a public meeting: "I think more businesses in the village will suffer because it will take away people who have to go further afield to take money out."

A letter circulated at the meeting from Linda Fishburn, Barclays' retail leader for Darlington and North Yorkshire, said that the bank had seen a 78 per cent decrease in customers.

The letter said: "At this moment in time the business is sustainable on a three- day-a-week basis, but does not have enough footfall or customer inquiries to allow me to keep the doors open for five days a week."

Diane Spark, from the Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Service, agreed to write to Barclays querying the phrase, "at this moment" and asking for the time period over which the 78 per cent decrease was measured.

Coun Shuttleworth said if villagers could not get assurances the bank would stay open, they should ask Teesdale District Council to move its bank account from Barclays. He also urged people to write letters to the bank's chief executive.

He said: "This is the only bank I know where they are going to close two days a week. I don't think it's a question that they are not making money, it's that they are not making enough money."

District councillor Richard Betton said: "If Middleton can't justify a bank, how can we expect to revitalise the economy in the area?"

The changes to the bank's opening times are expected to start at the beginning of March.