The Royal Bank of Scotland has announced it is to close 162 branches in England and Wales, resulting in 792 job losses.
RBS has said that because the group has branches in close proximity it is seeking to reduce overlap.
The bank is 72 per cent owned by the taxpayer and said the move was linked to its decision not to sell it’s William & Glyn business.
RBS said: “As a result of this process, around 792 roles will be made redundant, and we will seek to support our colleagues with the option to leave on a voluntary basis."
A total of 109 branches will close in late July and a further 53 will close in November.
A list of local branch closures will be announced soon.
An RBS spokesman said: "We have had to review our overall branch footprint in England and Wales and we've made the difficult decision to close a number of Royal Bank of Scotland branches.
"Customers of Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales will be able to use NatWest branches instead for their everyday banking needs."
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