A NUMBER of bank branches across Oxfordshire have closed their doors since the start of the year.

Lloyds Banking Group announced the closure of a further 44 Lloyds and Halifax branches in England and Wales, one of which is located on Reading Road in Henley.

The latest restructuring plans come in response to a shift in customer behaviour, with digital banking soaring during the pandemic, and rising from four million users to 18 million in the past five years, the lender explained.

Unite national officer Caren Evans said: "The decision by Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) to further erode its presence within our communities is baffling.

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"The closure of 44 more bank branches will deny our communities of essential services such as access to cash and experienced highly trained staff.

"A local ATM is not a suitable alternative to a staffed bank branch."

However, LBG is not the only lender to be shutting branches across the country and in Oxfordshire.

In fact, it was only last week that HSBC closed its Headington branch on London Road.

It also comes after the bank shut its Summertown branch on Banbury Road at the end of May.

May also saw the closure of the Burford branch of TSB bank on Sheep Street.

In August, customers will also see the Headington offices of Santander closing its doors due to 'fallen usage'.