Outrage as HSBC branch closes its doors to 'poor customers'

In a move slammed as "outrageous", HSBC has warned poor customers in one of Britain's most exclusive districts that they will no longer be welcome.

From June, staff at HSBC in Canford Cliffs, Dorset - which includes the notoriously expensive Sandbanks enclave - will only serve customers who have signed up to the bank's Premier service.

To qualify, you must have savings or investments of at least £50,000, or a mortgage of £200,000 or more, or a £75,000 salary and a mortgage of £100,000 with HSBC.

If you are not rich enough , you would have to pay a painful £19.95 a month to be a member. Anyone else will be forced to use the cashpoint or travel to a different branch.

The move has caused fury among local residents in the beautiful coastal village who feel let down by a branch which has served them for nearly 50 years.

Many are elderly which means they are no longer earning, have paid off their mortgage and may have significant savings, but not necessarily with HSBC.

Councillor Ray Smith, a former mayor of nearby Poole, said: "The bank should be ashamed of themselves. It is absolutely outrageous.

"I know many people who are on the breadline.

"The elderly who cannot walk and do not have cars will now have to get taxis to another branch"

The branch serves an area that is one of the most expensive places to buy a home in Britain - and includes the exclusive Sandbanks where a dilapidated, three-bedroom bungalow is currently on the market for £4 million, just two years after it was sold for £2.75 million.

The area's most famous resident is the Portsmouth FC manager Harry Redknapp along with his footballer son, Jamie, and his pop star wife Louise.

One HSBC customer, who did not want to be named, said: "What happens if you are an elderly person living in a £500,000 house with no mortgage and no £75,000 salary?"

HSBC, which made profits of £925 million in the UK last year, insisted it is not abandoning its loyal customers.

They will still be able to use the cash machine, which is the only one in the village, and use another machine for deposits.

But if they want to do anything else, they will have to travel a mile to the nearest HSBC branch in Westbourne or 2.2 miles to Poole.

A spokesman insisted that most people in Canford Cliffs will not be "significantly inconvenienced".

He said: "It is unique due to it being a small express branch; our wealthy customer base in the local area and the fact that the area is well serviced by HSBC branches."

But Helen Warner, 40, from Canford Cliffs, said: "I think it is extraordinary for a bank to ban people from using essential services.

"There are a lot of pensioners here and people in that age group like a personal service.

"They don't go for PIN numbers. They want to be able to deal with a person."

"My brother is in his 30s and has banked there since he opened his first account. He works locally for an engineering firm and will be greatly inconvenienced.

"He opened his account when it was a Midland Bank [HSBC bought Midland in 1992] and it really is a slap in the face for him.

"I've been talking to my friends and we think it is quite horrible and outrageous."

HSBC says it will allow people who are "physically unable" to travel to continue using the branch as normal. It will consider each request on a case-by-case basis.

It insists that it is not planning to convert any of its other 1,500 UK branches into Premier outlets.

There are 48 Premier outlets in the UK, but they are all part of a normal HSBC branch.