‘People are devastated’: anger and anxiety as Peak District loses its last bank

Early next year, the NatWest in the market town of Bakewell will close, leaving the whole area ‘de-banked’

It’s midday on a Friday and a sizeable queue has formed inside the NatWest branch in Bakewell, the last remaining bank in the whole of the Peak District.

The two staff members on duty are dealing with a stream of customers including elderly people with queries, people cashing cheques and business owners collecting change for their shops.