The move follows the bank’s recent decision to close 60 branches, including 24 Lloyds Bank, 19 Bank of Scotland and 17 Halifax sites across the UK, announced in March this year

25_Gresham_Street_(Lloyds_TSB_headquarters)

Lloyds Banking Group headquarters in London, UK. (Credit: Carcharoth/Wikipedia)

British financial services firm Lloyds Banking Group is set to shut down additional 28 branches across the country this year.

The bank is expected to wind down 20 Lloyds branches and eight Halifax-branded branches between August and November this year.

The move follows the bank’s recent decision to close 60 branches, including 24 Lloyds Bank, 19 Bank of Scotland and 17 Halifax sites across the UK, announced in March this year.

The 60 bank branches are said to serve small businesses, the vulnerable, disabled and elderly and the closure would affect their access to cash and essential banking services.

The banks across the industry have been reducing their branch networks in recent years, citing growing demand for online services, reported Reuters.

In October last year, the group announced the closure of 48 bank branches. It also announced the closure of 44 local bank branches in June.

With the currently announced branch closure programme, Lloyds will be left with 1,387 bank branches.

The move has drawn criticism from employee union Unite, the union representing Lloyds employees.

The union stated that the bank’s decision to close additional 28 bank branches was ‘inexcusable’.

Unite national officer Caren Evans said: “The branch closure announcement today that another profit-making financial institution is failing to consider the needs of consumers and staff beggars’ belief. This news is another example of a bank choosing to walk away from the communities who need access to banking.

“The actions of Lloyds Banking Group over the last few months are completely inexcusable. The management is letting down customers and their dedicated workforce.

“These closures will leave some customers more than 10 miles from their nearest bank branch. This is a betrayal of some of the most vulnerable, elderly and socially excluded in our communities who need local access to community banking.”