Felixstowe TSB bank was scene of Fast Eddie Maher heist

The Hamilton Road branch became synonymous with the nickname 'Fast Eddie' when Eddie Maher, a driver with security business Securicor, sped off from outside the Lloyds premises in a van containing £1.2million in what many believed at the time was the perfect crime.

He made his move while his colleague Peter Bunn - who was not involved in the theft - was inside chatting and joking to bank clerks; the pair having arrived together in the armoured van to make a delivery.

READ MORE: Felixstowe: 30th anniversary of Lloyds Bank Securicor theft

Eddie Maher worked as a driver for Securicor when he stole the money (Image: Suffolk Constabulary)However, Maher was not acting alone - he had been approached by people from the underworld only weeks earlier to carry out the crime and said he was forced to take part, adding that he was doing a job he did not like.

Following the robbery in January 1993, Maher drove the van to the seafront and parked in Micklegate Road, alongside Charles Manning's Amusement Park, where the 50 bags containing coins, £20 and £10 notes were unloaded into a car.

This was then driven to a car park on the nearby Landguard peninsula for a second transfer. Securicor epaulettes were found nearby.

READ MORE: TSB closing in Hamilton Road in Felixstowe in September

The Securicor van which was driven away by Eddie Maher containing £1.2 million (Image: PA Wire)Maher then moved to the USA with his partner Debbie and young son and spent life on the run before eventually being arrested in Ozark, Missouri and extradited back to Britain, where he faced court and was jailed for five years.

Earlier this week, TSB announced it was closing the branch on September 10 as part of a cull of 36 branches nationwide as part of a move to a "better balance of digital and face-to-face services".

The decision has sparked consternation, with Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey speaking of her "deep disappointment" and describing the bank as a "lifeline" for elderly residents and local businesses.

Photo of Eddie Maher following his arrest in 2012 (Image: FBI)Julia Ewart, the Liberal Democrats' prospective parliamentary candidate for Suffolk Coastal, has also expressed her dismay at the news.

She said: "I was dismayed to find out, just today, that another important community asset is to be lost in Felixstowe, as the TSB branch is due to close this September.  

READ MORE: Felixstowe news

"Have local banks learned nothing since Barclays started their unacceptable closure notice up in Leiston in January? 

Julia Ewart, prospective parliamentary candidate for Suffolk Coastal, expressed her 'dismay' at TSB's plans (Image: Suffolk Coastal Liberal Democrats)"Whilst I accept the increase in online banking affects such decisions, it's another blow for the older and more vulnerable members of our community.  

"Plus it’s a huge security risk especially to those who unwittingly start to get plagued by bogus calls.  

"I will be asking a lot of questions and will be lobbying to delay the branch’s closure for as long as possible, if indeed it's not possible to prevent the closure.

"I’ll repeat here my concern that the Financial Conduct Authority have a lot to answer for in being so tardy.  

"They’ve not launched their much-talked-about scheme to protect such closures. Why not? 

"The entire fabric of our communities is being torn from underneath us.

"NHS waiting lists, amenity closures, empty high streets, very few NHS dentists, just being a few examples. 

"I'm on the side of the residents of Felixstowe, who have such a thriving high street.

"Right now it deserves support not such negative news and therefore I’ll persist to advocate, and do my very best for them, on this and all of the other areas of concern."