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| HSBC announces five further bank closures | HSBC announces five further bank closures |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| HSBC has announced that five further bank branches will close, in an apparent resumption of its closure programme. | HSBC has announced that five further bank branches will close, in an apparent resumption of its closure programme. |
| HSBC said the closures were a result of customers using the branch network less than they used to. | HSBC said the closures were a result of customers using the branch network less than they used to. |
| The bank has closed more than 200 branches in the UK over the last three years, but only four so far in 2013. | The bank has closed more than 200 branches in the UK over the last three years, but only four so far in 2013. |
| It is thought a further 20 closure announcements will be made before October. | |
| The branches concerned are Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria, Almondbury in West Yorkshire, Highcliffe in Dorset, Cudworth in South Yorkshire, and Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire. | The branches concerned are Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria, Almondbury in West Yorkshire, Highcliffe in Dorset, Cudworth in South Yorkshire, and Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire. |
| HSBC told the BBC that the closures were a "last resort". | HSBC told the BBC that the closures were a "last resort". |
| "These closures are a result of customers using the branch network less," said a spokesman for the bank. | "These closures are a result of customers using the branch network less," said a spokesman for the bank. |
| "We are seeing a shift to customers using phone, internet and mobile devices," he said. | "We are seeing a shift to customers using phone, internet and mobile devices," he said. |
| HSBC closed about 70 branches in the UK last year and more than 50 in 2011. | HSBC closed about 70 branches in the UK last year and more than 50 in 2011. |
| More to come | |
| Derek French, of the Campaign for Community Banking services, expressed some surprise at HSBC's plans. | |
| "These figures suggest that after a pause, they're now galloping ahead with closures, as in previous years," he told the BBC. | |
| But HSBC is not alone in reducing the size of its branch network, with 85 closures in UK towns and cities so far this year. | |
| Royal Bank of Scotland, which includes the Nat West brand, has closed 60 branches this year. | |
| The new RBS chief executive, Ross McEwan, who takes up his post in October, has already hinted that more closures could follow. | |
| Barclays has closed 16 branches since the start of 2013. | |
| Lloyds Banking Group, which includes the Bank of Scotland and Halifax, has promised to make no closures before February 2015. |