Santander to close branches in North Tyneside and North Yorkshire

Santander are closing branches in our region. Credit: PA Images

Banking giant Santander has announced it is set to close two branches in our region - one each in North Tyneside and North Yorkshire.

Its outlets in North Shields and Ripon will both shut their doors in the next six months.

North Shields' branch, which is on Bedford Street, will close for the last time on May 9 while the Fishergate bank in Ripon will shut on June 6.

Santander is closing 140 branches across the UK, blaming a fall in demand. In a statement, the firm said branch transactions had fallen by 23 per cent over the past three years, while these had grown on digital channels by 99 per cent in that time.

Unions have been consulted on the closure and Santander has said it will try to move staff hit by the closures.

Susan Allen, Santander's head of retail and business banking, said: