Barclays will pull down the shutters on another branch in the region next year. 

The banking giant has announced the closures of 20 more branches, including a branch in County Durham, that the business previously promised would stay open. 

The bank's Barnard Castle location will shut on or before Friday, January 17, 2025, Barclays bosses have said. 

In their reasons for closing the branch, a Barclays spokesperson said: "Back when we opened this branch, visiting us in person was one of the only ways to do your banking.

"Now, as there are lots of ways to manage your money without even leaving your home, we’re seeing many customers choosing to bank using our app, and Online or Telephone Banking.

"This has had a big impact on the number of customers coming in to see us."

Currently, only 28 customers use the branch regularly as the only way to do their banking; 87 per cent of the branch's customers also use the app, online, and phone service to bank; and 21 per cent of the branch's customers have visited nearby branches in the last 12 months. 

Previously, bank bosses pledged to work with communities, including those in Barnard Castle and Middleton-in-Teesdale, to keep the last banks in towns open. 

Four years ago, Barclays committed to keeping a total of 105 last-in-town and remote branches open until at least October 2021. 

Since this date, they have shut the Middleton-in-Teesdale branch and earmarked the Barnard Castle branch for closure too. 

The nearest branch for those in these towns is now Darlington.