TSB in Worcester will close next year as part of a raft of branch closures announced by the bank.

The Mealcheapen Street branch will shut its doors on 21 June 2022 and is one of 70 TSB branches set to close next year.

Redditch’s Unicorn Hill branch is also facing the axe as TSB responds to what it calls “declining branch use” and the increasing popularity of online banking.

The average number of transactions taking place in TSB branches has been falling since January 2019, the bank said.

The 70 branches set to close in 2022 carry out 32 per cent fewer transactions than TSB’s national average.

Robin Bulloch, TSB’s chief customer officer, said: “Closing branches is an incredibly difficult decision to take, but we have to respond to the changes in the way people bank and provide the right mix of services for all our customers now and into the future.

“These changes allow us to maintain an extensive branch presence across the country. They are accompanied by a significant investment programme to upgrade branches to better suit customer needs.

“And, where it takes longer to get to the nearest branch, we will introduce more ‘pop-up’ services in communities.”

Following the closures next June - and the closure of the Malvern branch last year - Worcester’s nearest TSB branches will be in Stourport, Ledbury and Evesham.