Barclays is telling thousands of customers who use safes in the bank’s branches to store valuable items to remove their goods. The bank says it is ‘increasingly complex and costly to continue the service’, which is being phased out by Christmas. HSBC, NatWest and Lloyds are also withdrawing deposit boxes. Most are taking less draconian action than Barclays, simply barring new customers, effectively running down the service. But a few new banks say there is strong demand for deposit boxes and are making more available.
State Bank of India, which in recent years has been opening branches in Britain, is among new providers offering more boxes in branches.

And Metro Bank, another new brand, is also building boxes into its growing network. It has 16 vaults in branches in the South East, with the latest one to open – in Guildford, Surrey – also including the service. Both banks require customers to have a current or savings account. Increased demand has been fuelled partly by the surge in the price of gold – up fivefold in the past decade, although currently in freefall. Families worried about the security of their jewellery or heirlooms are paying banks or other firms for safekeeping.....Read more here