RESIDENTS in Woodstock have been left without a high street bank after Barclays closed its branch.

It was the final bank left in the town after NatWest moved out in 2014.

But Barclays in Park Street closed its doors for the final time on Friday.

Barclays' branch in Burford will close on Thursday, as the bank said it has just five regular customers.

Matthew Bell, community banking spokesman for Barclays in the Thames Valley, said: "At Barclays Woodstock branch customer usage has continued to decline by 12 per cent in the last year alone and nearly half of our branch customers now regularly use alternative branches."

Staff old and new, including Marion Payne, who used to work at the branch, gathered outside on Friday to mark its last day of serving customers.

Woodstock town councillor Sharone Parnes said the NatWest cashpoint was temporarily out of order on the day of the closure, which highlighted the problem residents now faced.

Traders in Woodstock, including the Wake Up to Woodstock group, complained following the closure of the NatWest branch in 2014, claiming it could have an impact on trade.

Chris Baylis, former chairman of Wake Up to Woodstock, and a resident of the town, said: "I think this is a crying shame for Woodstock.

"It has an older demographic and a lot of residents liked to do personal banking.

"I think the branch would bring people into the town as well - it's a reflection of what is happening on the high street generally."