Branches go at Portman

Portman Building Society is closing nine branches across the West Midlands, with the loss of scores of jobs.

Letters were today being sent to customers about the cuts.

Branches will close in Albrighton, Bewdley, Bloxwich, Cradley Heath, Perton, Tettenhall, Willenhall, Wombourne and Oakengates in Telford.

The group took over the Staffordshire Building Society in 2003 and is itself being swallowed up by the UK's biggest building society, Nationwide.

The Bournemouth-based Portman warned customers in the Black Country nearly 12 months ago that they had to start using their branches or risk losing them.

Portman today refused to confirm how many jobs will go but, in a letter being sent to customers, chief executive Robert Sharpe blames the closures on "under-performing" branches .

Speaking today, he said: "It would appear that there is limited demand for the type of services we offer.

"We do appreciate the inconvenience and disappointment that our decision will cause those members who are actively using any of the branches concerned."

He said the society would make every effort to redeploy staff to other positions within its branch network.

The branches will close at noon on April 28 and there could be more cuts to come once the Portman takeover by Nationwide is confirmed on April 23.

The expanded group will have 880 branches and 18,000 staff across the UK, and Nationwide has already confirmed there will be cuts.

Around 300 people work in the Portman branch network in the West Midlands, and another 200 at the call centre operation in Wolverhampton.

By Stuart Pollitt and Jim Walsh