Santander is to shut 140 branches in the UK, putting 1,270 jobs at risk.

The company said its decision was because more customers are using online banking, meaning there is less demand for branches, as reported by Sky.

It said that it was hoping to redeploy about a third of the staff affected by the closures and that it had consulted unions on the proposals.

Santander said the closures would affect its less-visited branches and those with other branches nearby. It also said it would support customers of closing branches to find alternative ways to bank which will best suit them.

It is not yet clear whether any branches in Gloucestershire will be affected. The county has already seen many branch closures over the last few years, with some small towns left without a bank, forcing small businesses and the elderly to travel long distances to their nearest branch.