NATIONWIDE has confirmed it will close the Bournemouth branch that was recently the scene of a robbery - despite a campaign to keep it open.

The building society will shut the 1149 Christchurch Road branch from next Saturday in its Portman merger programme.

A cash van calling at the branch was robbed by three men on October 16. The closure was not linked to the incident.

Cllr Nick King, ward member for the area, Littledown and Iford, said: "We started a petition and held a demonstration against the closure.

"There are a lot of traders down there who benefit from the branch being there and a lot of elderly people who live nearby who can't get to other branches easily.

"It's like the post offices closing - these places are viewed as valuable services by the public, and I think it is a short-sighted move to close them.

"If you look at Nat West they are opening more branches and I think they will see the benefits of the policy."

A Nationwide spokesman said the branch would merge with the branch at 10 Southbourne Grove, which would close for one day on Monday, October 29, to enable the merger.

Nationwide took over Portman in a £150bn deal that created Britain's third biggest money lender.