THE NatWest branch in Bridge Street, Ramsbottom, will be closing on October 2.

It shuts as part of a re-organisation which will see 158 branches belonging to the RBS group close.

Nationally up to 470 employees stand to lose their jobs, as NatWest and RBS close 128 and 30 branches respectively, and another 300 staff will move to different roles as a result of the changes.

The Unite union said RBS was ‘turning its back’ on communities that had been the foundation of its business for generations.

Transactions in branches have fallen by 43 per cent since 2010, according to the company.

A spokesman for the bank said after a review of its network a decision had been taken to close the outlets. He said: “We have seen a dramatic shift in the way our customers are choosing to bank, with more using mobile and online over traditional branch counters. Simple transactions undertaken in branch at NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland have fallen by 43 per cent since 2010, while online and mobile transactions have increased by more than 400 per cent.” All banking arrangements will remain the same, including account number and sort code.