Anger as Lloyds axes C&G branches

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The group will axe a total of 1,660 full-time jobs, including 928 at C&G and several hundred at other parts of the business.

Unite leader Derek Simpson said the cuts were "nothing short of disgraceful" while workers spoke of being "kicked in the teeth".

Lloyds said it was closing its network of 164 C&G branches in November to focus on building its mortgage and savings direct and intermediary businesses. The closures will result in the loss of 833 full-time jobs, which will affect up to 928 full-time and part-time workers.

Other cuts will hit 265 jobs in the personal loans business at Chester, reducing the number of Black Horse personal finance centres and moving the car financing arm, CarSelect, from Cardiff to Birmingham, with the loss of 140 jobs, as well as other cuts in retail support and sales.

Helen Weir, Lloyds group executive director retail, said: "The strategic focus for C&G from now on will be to further strengthen its intermediary and direct savings businesses. Another major priority for us is to ensure that we manage the closure of the C&G branch network so that it causes as little disruption as possible to our customers."

In a statement, the company said: "Where it is necessary for colleagues to leave the company, it will look to achieve this by voluntary severance. Compulsory redundancies will be a last resort."

But Derek Simpson, joint general secretary of the Unite union, said the news was "nothing short of disgraceful" and added: "This move by Lloyds bank will rip the heart out of hundreds of local communities up and down the country as customers will see their valued community bank branch close.

"UK taxpayers have not poured billions of pounds into this organisation just to see it sack thousands of hard-working people.

"Frontline staff in banks across the country are blameless for the mistakes of management which have brought the important finance industry to the point of collapse. Yet these workers now face an uncertain future as Lloyds abandons C&G's high street branches. This is truly a dark day for the financial services sector in this country."