Major bank forced to shut branch early after knife yobs abuse staff walking home in the dark

A BANK branch has been forced to shut early to try to keep its staff safe from knife-wielding yobs.

Halifax made the move because employees said they were too afraid to go home in the dark.

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The plan is in place in Croydon, South London — 100 yards from where Elianne Andam, 15, was stabbed to death last month on her way to school.

A boy aged 17 will face trial in the spring.

Staff say her death has raised tensions in the area.

The bank branch will now shut an hour early at 4pm.

Signs say the early closure is due to the “current environment within Croydon”.

One worried employee says she is so scared of so-called undesirables in the knife crime-blighted area, she now carries a rape alarm.

Last week, the branch closed four hours early after staff were verbally abused.

A bank employee told The Sun on Sunday: “We are nervous going home. We are being targeted for abuse when we leave, especially if it is dark.”

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk