The NatWest branch in Harold Hill is set to close later this year, it has been announced.

The bank, in Hilldene Avenue, will close its doors to customers on July 6, with the banking giant saying customer transactions at the branch decreased by 64 per cent between January 2019 and January 2023.

The closure is one of at least ten planned across London before the end of August.

It comes in the week that Barclays announced it would close another 14 branches across the UK this year.

A NatWest brochure on the closure said that the branch was used by just four personal customers on a regular basis in 2021.

The nearest NatWest branch for people living in Harold Hill will now be in Hornchurch, more than four miles away.

A NatWest spokesperson said that Harold Hill customers can make use of banking services at any Post Office.

They added: “As with many industries, most of our customers are shifting to mobile and online banking, because it’s faster and easier for people to manage their financial lives.  

“We understand and recognise that digital solutions aren’t right for everyone or every situation, and that when we close branches we have to make sure that no one is left behind.

“We take our responsibility seriously to support the people who face challenges in moving online, so we are investing to provide them with support and alternatives that work for them.”

Jenny Ross, money editor at Which?, told PA: “Bank branch closures don’t just make access to cash more difficult for the millions of people across the country who rely on it, but also cuts vital in-person banking services, which are particularly important for customers who are not ready or able to bank online.

“Schemes introduced by the banking industry to protect these services, such as banking hubs, are a good start in plugging gaps left by the removal of physical branches, but they must be rolled out much more quickly if consumers are to feel their benefits.”