Exmouth's HSBC bank to close in August

Exmouth's HSBC bank is to close in August.

The Chapel Street branch is one of 82 around the country that the company has announced it's shutting down.

HSBC said the number of customers using its branches has fallen by a third in the last five years, and 90 per cent of customer contact has been via the phone or online, including social media.

Jackie Uhi, HSBC UK's head of network, said: "The Covid-19 pandemic has emphasised the need for the changes that we are making.

"It hasn't pushed us in a different direction but reinforces the things that we were focusing on before and has crystallised our thinking. This is a strategic direction that we need to take to have a branch network fit for the future."

Changes to the branches that remain open

Some branches will remain open but be mainly dedicated to giving people access to their money, and there will also be pop-up branches in some areas by the end of the year.

The branches offering a full counter service will be those in larger towns and cities.

HSBC said all but one of the branches that will close down are within a mile of a post office, where people could carry out financial transactions.

It does not expect to make any staff redundant, as they will be redeployed in other branches within 15 miles of their homes.

The nationwide closure programme will begin on April 23, with up to four branches closing each week until September 24. The Exmouth branch will close on Friday, August 13.