Nat West bank has announced that it is closing its branch in Falmouth this summer because of the dramatic way people have changed their banking habits.

Announcing the closure of branches all over the country it says the Falmouth branch will be closing on August 24. The company says it has seen an increased demand for mobile and online services.

In a statement the company said: "The way people bank with us has changed dramatically in recent years, with an increased demand for mobile and online services as customers benefit from a faster and easier way to bank. Closing a branch is a decision we take very seriously. We know it can affect people who are less confident with the alternatives we offer, and we'll always work hard to guide you through the changes and find the best way to serve you from now on.

"With the ease of mobile and online banking fewer people are coming into the bank. This means we’ve had to make some tough choices about which can stay open. So, we want to make sure that we keep the branches people are using most."

It says across the bank it has seen average counter transactions reduced by 30% between January 2018 and February 2020 while the average number of customers using mobile apps increased by 19% between January 2018 and February 2020 while there were more than 586 million mobile and online transactions processed in 2020.

They said the decision to close a branch is always difficult "and not a decision that we ever take lightly" but in Falmouth they say they saw: between 2017 and 2019, counter transactions for personal customers decreased by 20%.

The branch was used by just 20 personal customers on a regular basis in 2019 with 62% of personal customers using the branch also choosing to use Online Banking or the bank's mobile app.

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It was used by 66 business customers on a regular basis in 2019 and average counter transactions reduced by 30% between January 2018 and February 2020.

It used data up to 2019 as this represents normal branch usage, as 2020 data had been significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The bank has produced a factsheet with all the information needed which can be downloaded here or go to natwest.com/onlinebanking.

They also have Customer Support Specialists that are dedicated to helping customers who need more support.