Santander will be closing another nine branches as part of a wider strategy to reduce its physical footprint in response to changing customer behaviour. In a matter of just two days next week, the bank will shut the doors on nine of its UK branches. The nine Santander branches closing next week are spread across the UK, with affected locations in Wales (Caernarfon), Scotland (Cumbernauld), and England, including London (Tottenham, Ruislip), the South East (Tenterden, Herne Bay), the South West (Camborne, St Austell), and the North West (Didsbury).

The branch closures come amid a broader plan by Santander to shut 38 UK branches this month alone. The bank had earlier announced plans to close 95 branches from June onward, citing a continued shift in customer behaviour towards online and mobile banking. Subject to union consultations, around 750 employees are at risk of redundancy.

A spokesperson for Santander UK previously said: "As customer behaviour changes, we are ensuring that our branches remain fit for the future. As a business, we must move with customers and balance our investment across all the places where we interact with customers, to deliver the very best for them now and in the future.

"Closing a branch is always a very difficult decision, and we spend a great deal of time assessing where and when we do this and how to minimise the impact it may have on our customers.

"However, we believe that the introduction of our new Community Bankers and the exciting plans we have for our remaining network of 349 branches and Work Cafés, alongside the rapid and innovative improvements to our award-winning mobile banking app, will provide the right balance of digital banking and human interaction when required."

The spokesperson added that about 750 employees could face redundancy if the proposed plans move forward following union consultations. Santander's £2.65 billion acquisition of TSB earlier this week has also intensified concerns over the high street bank closures.