Retired consultant surgeon Anthony Steel, 70, has distributed petitions throughout Burnham to protest at the planned closure of the NatWest bank in March.

Dozens of people have signed them.

A NatWest spokesman said an agreement was in place with the Post Office so that people can withdraw cash, check balances, and make deposits free of charge. Businesses would also be able to get coinage.

But Mr Steel, who has banked with NatWest since he was 17, said: “I take great exception to the decision to close the bank without consultation.

“I received a letter about it very late on [last Thursday] but I had sprung into action before that.

“We had a similar performance when they tried to close it six years ago and we defeated the plans.

“There’s nowhere for anyone to park if they’re expected to use the post office and the post office is crowded enough without the bank involved.

“It’s a stupid idea.”