LLOYDS Bank workers across the Forest of Dean could face the axe following the firm’s announcement it will close 200 of its branches despite doubling their profit in 2016.

The Black Horse bank announced last week that it It is cutting 3,000 jobs nationwide and is doubling its planned branch closures, and has not ruled out closing branches in Coleford, Lydney or Cinderford.

The bank says it is closing the branches due to more people using online banking ahead of visiting their local branch as well as the effects of interest rates remaining low for the foreseeable future.

Lloyds abandoned its Newent branch in April this year and has said it is monitoring all of its Forest subsidiaries.

If the Lloyds branch in Coleford were to close, it would mean that the town would be left without a bank.

Brian Pearman, chairman of the Neighbourhood Development Plan for Lydney, believes it would be disastrous if Lloyds left the town.

He said: “With Lydney expanding in the next few years I think it would be very short sighted to close our local branch.

“The banking sector has not treated its retail customers very well over the past years forgetting that it was the taxpayer that bailed them out.

“We’ve got to stop this from happening and campaign locally.

“It would be a step too far. It’s very easy to look at numbers on a spreadsheet in an office but to close the Lydney branch would be a complete disregard for its customers.”

Cinderford Mayor Max Coborn said the High Street branch closure would be a nightmare for people without transport.

He said: “The branch closure would be a real blow to the town.

“It’s used by a lot of people and it would be a real shame for them to leave Cinderford.

“It’s all very well saying that people use internet banking now-a-days but many of the elderly people can’t or don’t have access to it.

“It’s just an excuse to lose jobs. Half of the time you can’t use the internet banking and spend hours waiting on the phone.

“To close the branch and send people to Gloucester, or Lydney if its not also closed, would be a nightmare for people without transport.”

Lloyds reported a £2.5bn pre-tax profit for the half year to the end of June 2016.

António Horta-Osório, Lloyds Banking Group chief executive, said: “We’ve delivered a good financial performance in the first half of 2016 which has been achieved through our differentiated retail and commercial business model together with the simplification and transformation of the business in recent years, and our prudent approach to risk, positions us well to continue to help Britain prosper and deliver strong returns for shareholders.”