Some HSBC customers with UK current accounts in a Dorset village will no longer be able to meet up with their bank manager as the branch has officially become a ‘premier’ location for top-flight, high-earning customers only.

At Canford Cliffs, close to the ultra-rich enclave of Poole, the branch becomes the preserve of HSBC “premier” customers, those who have £50,000 savings, a £200,000 mortgage, a £100,000 mortgage and a minimum £75,000 salary or pay a £19.95 “premier” account fee.

A spokesperson for HSBC explained that the circumstances were “exceptional” and that the cheapest property currently on the market in Canford Cliffs comes in at £330,000. “The reason we are doing it is because Canford Cliffs is a very wealthy area and well serviced by HSBC. It is a unique location,” he said.

More “average”, non-“premier” customers who require an audience with a manager will now have to visit nearby branches in Poole or Westbourne, although they are still able to make withdrawals and deposits at Canford Cliffs, which does have a cash machine facility.

One resident who did not wish to be named said: “That’s what this area is all about – money. It’s the way it’s going around here.”