TSB urged to come to far north to see problems faced by customers at closure-threatened Thurso branch
A call has been made for a TSB representative to come to the far north to experience the problems faced by customers who have to travel miles to get to the closure-threatened bank branch in Thurso.
The plea came from Iain Gregory of the Caithness Roads Recovery campaign group while Ron Gunn, the chairman of the Thurso Community Council urged people to consider closing their accounts with the TSB and moving to another bank.
Their comments comes as opposition grows to the planned closure of the Traill Street branch which is scheduled for April. The move is part of a proposal to axe 70 branches throughout the UK.
An online petition against the Thurso closure is expected to be started shortly.
Mr Gregory, speaking at this week's meeting of the town's community council, said "hundreds of people would be inconvenienced" by the bank's plan.

He said: "I know the TSB is a business but sometimes banks have to think about more than profits. They have a social responsibility to their customers. Banks can be a lifeline for older people and some have been in tears because they don't know what to do."
It was pointed out that some customers travel from Sutherland to Thurso to go to the bank. Mr Gregory called on a TSB representative to make a trip to the north to see the problems people here encounter. "Come and visit our community and we will take you in a car so you can see what they have to experience," he added.
Thurso and Northwest Caithness Highland councillor Donnie Mackay also expressed concern at what is happening and pointed out that other banks had closed their branches in Caithness, too, including the Clydesdale in Thurso and Wick. The Royal Bank of Scotland shut its Wick branch while the TSB closed its premises in Wick in March last year. More recently, Virgin Money closed its doors in Wick earlier this month.
He said: "If they keep going like this there will be nothing here. We need to do something. What it is I don't know but we need to do something. Everything is being centralised and it's not right. People in Caithness are having to suffer."
Mr Mackay also claimed that when a bank is closed "the cash machine goes as well".
Community council vice chairwoman Thelma Mackenzie said the TSB branch in Thurso is used by people in parts of Sutherland, including Melvich, Forsinard and Tongue as well as those in Caithness.
Chairman Ron Gunn said there was no consultation over the closure and backed the idea of an online petition as well as the call for a representative from the TSB to come here to see the difficulties experienced by local customers. "We need to show them we are not happy with their plans," he added.
Mr Gunn urged people to consider closing their accounts and moving to another bank instead. "That just might make them think," he said.
Mr Gunn pointed out that local MSP, Maree Todd and MP, Jamie Stone, have written to the bank to express their concern at what is happening.
The TSB says there has been declining branch use and increasing numbers of customers switching to digital banking. It pointed out that transactions in Thurso have fallen by 48 per cent, compared to 28 per cent across the network. The bank said it would provide a "pop-up" service in the town one day a week.