Billericay's Lloyds and TSB banks are to become the first in the south east to merge sites after major extension work.

Both firms will shortly operate from just the Lloyds building in the High Street in a pilot scheme for other branches across the region.

It's believed customers will feel the benefits of the merger thanks to a wider range of trained staff in just one building.

Costly and "chaotic" building work has been taking place at Lloyds, which employs 13 staff, over the past two months.

The branch has been completely redesigned with new counters, offices and interview rooms to give customers more privacy.

Susan Baker, Lloyds customer services officer, said: "The five TSB staff will work from here and it just means customers will be able to do everything from this branch.

"Lloyds and TSB merged a couple of years back and it's taken all this time for the systems to be sorted out and various other things to be merged together.

"Now they're at the stage of merging the branches in the High Street and we will be the first Lloyds in the south east to have a TSB on our premises."

The merger will give banking bosses an idea of what problems need to be ironed out before branches in London and other areas are given the go-ahead.

Mrs Baker said: "Others will follow, but we're a bit of a trial. Any niggles we have will be looked at and improved for the next one."

Billericay's bank already has signs outside declaring its new name - Lloyds TSB - and the merger will be celebrated on May 10. Spurs footballer Justin Edinburgh will visit the branch for a grand opening ceremony at 9.30am.

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