SDLP West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan has said that the announcement of the closure of the Castlederg Bank of Ireland branch is a further blow to the town.

Mr McCrossan is now seeking an urgent meeting with officials He said: “Bank of Ireland’s plan to close their Castlederg branch represents a serious blow for a rural community in the West. Following today’s announcement, I have immediately written to the Chief Executive expressing my very serious concerns and requesting an urgent meeting about this matter.
“The people who make these decisions need to understand the impact on our community – it should not all be about profits and turnover.
“I am increasingly concerned about the removal of banking services in rural areas across West Tyrone, which assume that all the bank’s customers will be able to use online banking, or simply go to a different branch which may be miles away. These are not realistic options for many and particularly for some of our older population that have used the bank for years.
“I have written to Bank of Ireland seeking an urgent meeting and urging them to seriously reconsider this move.”