Dorchester's HSBC branch is not among those set to close this year.

The bank announced it would be shutting 82 branches in the UK between April and September due to customers increasingly using internet banking.

It's not expected for there to be any redundancies, with staff at affected branches moved to others nearby.

Stripping out any impact of the pandemic, the number of customers using branches has fallen by a third in the last five years. Nine in 10 of all customers contact the bank over the phone, internet or smartphone, in addition to it talking to more than 100,000 customers a week on social media.

Jackie Uhi, HSBC UK's head of networks, 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 that things that we were focusing on before and has crystalised our thinking. This is strategic direction that we need to take to have a branch network fit for the future.

"Making sure we have a sustainable branch network is essential to us, and decisions to close branches are not taken lightly. By ensuring we have the most suitable branch format in each specific local market that we serve, we will ensure that we are in good shape to meet the challenges ahead."

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