TWO Bournemouth banks are to shut as Lloyds Banking Group announced plans to close 56 branches across the UK.

The Southbourne Grove branch of Lloyds and the Boscombe branch of Halifax, which is in Christchurch Road, are among those which will close.

In total, 31 Lloyds, 10 Halifax and 15 Bank of Scotland branches are expected to shut between April and October.

Many members of staff affected are likely to be offered jobs in other branches, it is said.

A Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson said: "We are committed to having the largest branch network in the UK and, in addition to our branches, all our customers can also use the Post Office to access their banking locally, alongside our mobile branches which visit many rural communities.

"We have confirmed that a number of branches will close between April and October this year.

"This is in response to changing customer behaviours and the reduced number of transactions being made in branches."

The news was announced just two days before Nationwide shuts four building society branches in Dorset.

It plans to shut in Boscombe, Canford Cliffs, Highcliffe and West Moors on Friday.

The mutual building society says it is investing £7million in improving other branches. It says the area will still have more branches for its population size than the rest of the country.

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