Lloyds Banking Group is to shut 136 more high street branches as it accelerates plans to cut costs and digitise the bank.
It will close 61 Lloyds, 61 Halifax and 14 Bank of Scotland branches between May this year and March 2026.
And among those earmarked for closure are two in Northern Ireland - at the Halifax outlets in Omagh (shutting on May 19) and Bangor (May 29)
The closure plan comes weeks after Lloyds shook up its branch business to allow customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to use stores across any of its brands for in-person banking.
Lloyds blamed the decision to shut the branches on customers shifting away from banking in person to using mobile services.
It said that all workers at the affected branches will be offered jobs elsewhere in the company.
A spokeswoman for the business said: “Over 20 million customers are using our apps for on-demand access to their money and customers have more choice and flexibility than ever for their day-to-day banking.
“Alongside our apps, customers can also use telephone banking, visit a community banker or use any Halifax, Lloyds or Bank of Scotland branch, giving access to many more branches.
“Customers can also do their everyday banking at over 11,000 branches of the Post Office or in a banking hub.”
Cash access network Link has confirmed its 200th banking hub recommendation to help plug gaps in the cash access network, as consumer campaigners raised concerns about access to physical banks being “cut to the bone”.
Link’s latest wave of recommendations will help to fill potential holes left behind and maintain cash access as banking giant Lloyds makes cuts to its branch network.
Sam Richardson, deputy editor of Which? Money, said: “More people are banking digitally nowadays, but there remains a significant minority of consumers across the country who still rely on bank branches to access vital face-to-face services.
“The UK’s bank branch network has been cut to the bone in recent years, often leaving people struggling and having to travel long distances to access cash or banking services.
“It’s therefore vital that banking hubs are rolled out quickly so consumers can feel their effects. The Government has committed to opening 350 hubs in the next few years - and it should be prepared to revise that figure upwards if necessary.”
