HIGH street banking may soon be available in a town which lost all its banks.

Only the Cumberland Building Society remains in Maryport, and there are only two ATMs in town: outside the building society and at the Spar garage.

Now the Cash Action Group and LINK have announced the creation of 13 new Banking Hubs, providing 'vital cash and banking services where they are needed most'.

A pilot scheme proved the popularity of the hubs last year, leading to the roll-out of these new ones.

A Banking Hub is a shared branch service, that operates in a similar way to a standard bank branch.

The hubs feature a counter service that will be operated by staff from the Post Office, where customers of any bank can withdraw and deposit cash, make bill payments, and carry out regular banking transactions. 

In addition, there will be private spaces where customers can speak to someone from their own bank for advice and support about more complex issues.

Each of the banks will be providing staff on rotation, so there are trained specialists from different banks available on different days.