Shailesh Vara MP for North West Cambridgeshire protests closure of Sibson-cum-Stibbington Parish Council’s bank account by Barclays

A council has been left ‘embarrassed and frustrated’ after its bank account was closed by Barclays.

Sibson-cum-Stibbington Parish Council, with support from Shailesh Vara MP for North West Cambridgeshire, is protesting the closure of its account by Barclays Bank.

Marge Beuttell, chairperson of Sibson-cum-Stibbington Parish Council, said: “The sudden and unexplained closure of this account left the parish council unable to pay the clerk and also other service providers for over three months, which was extremely embarrassing and frustrating.”

Ms Beuttell initially complained to the bank about the treatment of the parish council.

Prior to closing the account, it is alleged Barclays made several promises that the complaint would be resolved by specified dates, but all the dates passed, and the matter remained unresolved.

Mr Vara (Con) has joined the protest against the closure of the bank account and has written to C S Venkatakrishnan, chief executive, and Nigel Higgins, chairman of Barclays Bank.

Mr Vara branded the treatment of the council as ‘appalling’.

“This is not the way that they should be dealing with customers,” he said.

“I have had sight of the correspondence between the parish council and the bank, and it does not show Barclays in any good light at all.

“For months, there has been poor treatment of the council, culminating in the closure of their account without any explanation, despite promises to the contrary.

“I have asked Mr Venkatakrishnan to personally look into this case and I hope that the matter will be quickly resolved with the account being opened again.”

Barclays was contacted for a comment.