Banks in three North Yorkshire towns are to close in a fresh blow to the high street.
Banking giant Barclays has announced that it will be closing branches in Malton, Easingwold and Thirsk.
In total, Barclays will close 14 branches by the end of this year.
The bank cited changes in customer behaviour as the reason behind the closures.
It said that at the branches closing in North Yorkshire a large number of customers banked using its app, online and by phone which has resulted in a drop in footfall at the banks.
It also said that less people were using the branches regularly.
For people who use the branches regularly as their only way of banking, a Barclays spokesperson said there are 16 customers in Malton, 28 customers in Easingwold and 22 customers in Thirsk that fall into the category.
First to close will be the Easingwold branch on October 13, then will be the Malton branch on October 19, followed by the Thirsk branch on October 25.
After the closures, Barclays customers will have to travel to nearby towns or cities to use a bank.
For customers in Malton, this will mean having to travel eight miles to Pickering or 17 miles to York.
In a statement to customers a Barclays spokesperson said: “We’ll be working with the local community to understand the impact of closing this branch.
“Once we’ve gathered feedback, we’ll publish the results in a booklet called ‘Branch closure feedback’, which you can get from your branch or online at home.barclays/ukbranchclosures.”
The statement told customers that those with a personal or business account with the bank can use their local Post Office to do their banking.
It also said customers unsure of how to bank digitally should contact the bank.
The statement said: “Our Digital Eagles are here to help you get the most out of your online experiences. We have lots of resources and tutorials to boost your confidence and help you adapt to life in an increasingly online world.
“Speak to a Digital Eagle in one of our branches or search ‘Barclays Digital Eagles’ online. Master your Moneyverse with a little help from our Money Mentors.
“They’re here to give free, impartial guidance on anything from better budgeting to buying a home – search ‘Barclays Money Mentors’.”
Barclay’s closures follow an announcement by HSBC in November of last year (2022), which said HSBC would close 114 branches across the UK.
Branches also closed in Wetherby and Whitby.
Like Barclays, HSBC cited a change in customer behaviour and drop in footfall as the reasons behind the closures.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here