TWO NatWest branches in East Lancashire are set to close due to a decline in transactions over the past five years.

Branches in Darwen and Nelson will both close in July forcing thousands of residents to make longer journeys in order to do their banking.

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Darreners will now be expected to use the King William Street branch in Blackburn and Nelson residents will have to travel more than three miles to Colne.

The news comes after it was announced that three HSBC branches would close in the region in Accrington, Nelson and Rawtenstall which was deemed a 'major blow' for the town centres.

Darwen has also lost The Co-operative Bank and a HSBC branch in recent years.

In 2010 Clitheroe also saw its Halifax branch close in Castle Street and its Natwest branch in York Street is now closed on Thursdays.

NatWest said it had reached an agreement with Post Office's in both towns so that customers can pay money in and take money out as well as check balances and business customers will be able to get coinage.

A spokesman for NatWest said: "Our customers are increasingly using alternative ways to bank such as online and mobile banking.

"As a result, branch transactions have declined by around 46 per cent since 2010 whilst online and mobile transactions have grown by more than 400 per cent.

"Only nine per cent of their total transactions are now undertaken in branches in comparison to 25 per cent in 2010.

"We are committed to following the UK Government protocol on branch closures, and we have made the decision following careful consideration of a wide range of factors including branch usage and the alternative ways our customers can bank with us locally."