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A building society in Staffordshire has reopened to customers after undergoing a revamp.

The Nationwide branch in Codsall has been rebranded to continue to offer face-to-face banking in the village.

Staff at the Wolverhampton Road branch said they were working to crack down on romance scams, fake HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) emails, and investment fraud after noticing an increase.

"Branches are more than just in-person banking; for many, they’re a lifeline for connection to the local community," branch manager Jon Howard said.

It also acts as a touchpoint for the local community’s food bank "The Well", and last year was able to give more than 200kg (440lbs) of food donated by staff, customers and members of the public.

Mike Wood, MP for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire, added: “Building society and bank branches are hugely important for our high streets – not only to ensure that shoppers and businesses have access to cash, but also because of the wider support teams like those at this branch give to their customers who rely on face-to-face communications."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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