Major bank with 340 branches to close more locations forever within hours

A MAJOR bank with 340 branches is set to close more locations forever within hours.

The closures of high street banks are rife as many move their services online.

Data from LINK, the UK’s largest cash machine network, revealed dozens of banks would be closing between July 24 and August 31.

And now the giant HSBC is shutting down three of its banks in just hours.

Branches in Rhyd-Y-Penau, in Wales, Eastwood, in Nottingham and Leighton Buzzard will close on Tuesday.

HSBC are expected to close 114 of their banks in total with many already being boarded up this month.

And the first sites to close in September will be Settle, in north Yorkshire, Epworth, in Doncaster, Holsworthy, in Devon and Hythe, in Hampshire.

They will all shut on September 5.

What you can do if your local bank branch closes

Many, particularly the elderly, still rely on in-person services and the closures will make it more difficult for these people to access services.

But there are still a number of ways in which affected customers can access basic banking services without having to venture to the next town.

If the latest raft of closures will leave you with no bank in your town, you should be able to do most basic tasks at your local Post Office. 

You can use one of the Post Office’s nearly 12,000 branches to perform basic banking tasks — but not open new bank accounts or take personal loans and mortgages.

Many banks also offer a mobile banking service, which is where your bank brings a bus to your local area that has the services that are usually available at your branch.

You should call up your bank to see if it runs such a service and they will be able to tell you where and when it will be parked.

Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services.

Banking hubs, which offer traditional shared services, have also been set up in several locations around the UK to help plug the gap — including Brixham, Cambuslang, Cottingham and Rochford.