NatWest branches in Harpenden and Radlett are to be closed as part of a nationwide review of services.

The branch on High Street in Harpenden will close on Tuesday, May 22, 2018; the branch on Watling Street in Radlett will close on Tuesday, June 12.

A spokesperson for RBS, who own NatWest, said: “More and more of our customers are choosing to do their everyday banking online or on mobile.

“Since 2014 the number of customers using our branches across the UK has fallen by 40 per cent and mobile transactions have increased by 73 per cent over the same period.

“Over 5 million customers now use our mobile banking app and one in five only bank with us digitally.”

RBS are closing 197 NatWest and 62 Royal Bank of Scotland branches in response to a “dramatic” decline in their usage.

Transactions at the Harpenden branch have decreased by 46 per cent since 2012, with just 45 customers visiting on a weekly basis.

The Radlett branch sees even fewer customers, with just 29 customers each week, and a decline of 44 per cent in transactions.

68 per cent of customers in both towns chose to bank digitally instead.

NatWest have highlighted the number of other ways customers can bank, including over telephone, video, the post office, and the internet.

They are contacting vulnerable and regular customers, and have created a task force of ‘TechXperts’ to train and support customers until the branch closes.

The decision by RBS, 71 per cent of which is owned by the taxpayer, has attracted controversy.

Unite national officer Rob MacGregor said: “The closure of 259 branches is savage and represents a betrayal of loyal staff and customers who have supported the bank for decades. Why is the Government signing off this alarming branch closure program?

“A decade of slashing jobs has done nothing to boost morale, increase consumer confidence or improve the bank’s performance.

“This British-taxpayer funded bank should be concentrating on investing in jobs here in the UK, rather than cutting them wholesale.”