Four HSBC bank branches to shut in Staffordshire and the Black Country

HSBC said it will close the branches after seeing as much as a 40 per cent fall in the number of people using them in the last five years.

But the closures have sparked anger from people who fear customers will find a change to online banking or getting to another branch difficult.

Smethwick's High Street branch will shut on Friday, followed by Rugeley's Upper Brook Street branch on September 30. Stone and Brownhills' banks, both on their High Street, will close on November 25.

Many have been angered by the move, including Warley MP John Spellar. He said: "If you run small businesses, and many deal in cash, many have been dealing with HSBC and its predecessor, the Midland Bank.

"You need people who know the local business scene. It is short term cost cutting rather than thinking about customers and the banks themselves."

Ward councillor Richard Marshall, said: "It is just another name off the high street. I think it is just banks – many are saving money themselves and their main overhead is their high street presence. It is just going to go more and more online unfortunately."

HSBC's Cradley Heath's branch closed in June and its Blackheath High Street bank shut in November 2013.

Regarding the loss of the bank from its high street, Cradley Heath councillor Ann Shackleton said: "A lot of the local people still like to walk into their bank and it's restricting access for a lot of people because it's the habit of a lifetime."

Councillor Alan Dudson, who represents Rugeley on Staffordshire County Council, said: "To me this is once again big banks putting profit before looking after people. That is all it is. I think they prefer to look after high traders than people who have accounts with them. People may move their accounts to other banks in Rugeley. That is up to them. But then you don't know what the banking conglomerates are going to do."

Jane Gratton, Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce Deputy chief executive, said: "The rise of a digital society means that people are using branches less and, like any business, banks have to adapt accordingly. We all benefit enormously from the convenience of banking and shopping online but this shift in customer habits is changing the nature of the high street - a scenario that is reflected in towns and cities across the country. Many businesses and individuals, however, still rely on traditional forms of banking and it is important that alternative arrangements are put in place to ensure these customers have access to effective, secure banking solutions."

A HSBC spokeswoman said: "We understand branch closures may cause concern for some of our customers. We have put in place a number of measures to help, including a partnership with the Post Office, so our customers can still carry out their day to day banking.

"We continually review our branch network to make sure our branches are in the right locations for our customers and we have a sustainable network for the future.

"Over the past five years, we have seen an overall reduction in footfall at our branches of more than 40 per cent and sometimes we have to make the difficult decision to close branches."