NatWest branch closures: Telford and Wem to shut this summer

The move has been put down to a fall in transactions at the branches.

The branch in High Street, Wem will close on July 13, while the bank in Church Street, Wellington, Telford, will shut the following day on July 14.

The bank in Bridgnorth will shut at 3pm Monday to Friday from July 18 and will not open on Saturdays. It is currently open Saturday mornings and until 5pm on weekdays.

NatWest spokesman Sean Palmer described the closures as a "difficult decision".

But he added: "We will ensure there are a number of alternative ways for people in the area to continue to bank with us."

Mr Palmer said the Wem branch was being closed because the number of transactions there had reduced by 18 per cent since 2011.

In Wellington, he said, the number of transactions had reduced by 23 per cent since 2011.

"Only 59 customers use the branch on a weekly basis," Mr Palmer said. "And 41 of these customers already use other branches in the area."

The nearest NatWest to Wem is in Whitchurch, nearly nine miles away, while the closest to Wellington is just over four miles away in Telford town centre.

But Mr Palmer said there were two free to use cash machines within one mile of the Wem branch, and 18 within a mile of Wellington.

He added: "In both cases we have reached an agreement with the local Post Office so that our customers can pay money in, take money out, check balances and business customers can get coinage."

The announcement is the latest round of bank closures to hit customers in the county.

The Co-operative Bank will close its Wellington branch in Market Square on May 3, with the firm also announcing it would close its branches in Whitchurch and Oswestry. And HSBC has announced the closure of several branches in Shropshire and Mid Wales in recent months.