A Suffolk Citizens Advice chief has called for banks to ensure vulnerable customers are still able to access services locally after Barclays announced the closure of a number of Suffolk branches.

Simon Clifton, chief officer at Citizens Advice Mid Suffolk, supported the creation of banking hubs so people could make transactions at least one day a week after the High Street giant closed its Framlingham branch on Friday.

READ MORE: Frustration as Barclays announces closure of Southwold bank

Barclays is also set to close its Southwold branch on November 30, with its Woodbridge bank set to follow suit a couple of days later on December 1.

Already this year, towns such as Beccles, Mildenhall, Sudbury and Newmarket have seen high street banks shut.

Mr Clifton said: "We are very much still supportive of banking hubs. If banks remove themselves from communities, they have to have a viable alternative."

Last week, the EADT reported that Barclays had decided to close its Southwold branch because only 17 customers regularly used the High Street outlet.

READ MORE: Suffolk: Bank closures causing 'financial exclusion'

"We are concerned about people who are vulnerable who can not or do not use online banking facilities.

"These are the people that were using Framlingham. I can't influence a commercial decision by a multi-national bank. All I want the banks to do is to acknowledge a need for local services.

"Banking is one of the things that they can't access locally," Mr Clifton said.

A Barclays spokesperson told the EADT the bank would still be 'staying in the community' and customers would be able to talk to staff 'in person' and there would be help with 'day-to-day banking queries' and managing money, but there would be no access to cash.

READ MORE: Woodbridge news

But Mr Clifton wanted people to still be able to access cash.

Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey has also joined the chorus calling for banking hubs, adding that she would soon be meeting 'senior Barclays representatives' to question their decision.

She said she would be 'applying for a banking hub for Southwold and Halesworth,' adding: “It’s disappointing and extremely concerning that Barclays have announced that both their Southwold and Woodbridge banks are to close." 

READ MORE: Suffolk news