Four Danske Bank branches to close in September

Danske Bank has announced that four of its Northern Ireland branches will close in September.

They are in Lurgan, Cookstown, Kilkeel and Fivemiletown.

This reduces the number of branches to 28 as Danske Bank previously closed four of its branches in October last year.

Aisling Press, Danske Bank's managing director of personal banking, said the move was due to customers using '"alternative ways of banking".

This includes online banking, through the app or banking on the telephone.

"The world around us is changing constantly, and the world of banking changes with it," Ms Press said.

"Alongside that, the needs and expectations of our customers evolve, and in the last number of years, the way customers use branches has changed considerably.

"As a business, we have to respond to these changes and part of that is reviewing and adapting how we invest in customer solutions for the future. Sometimes that will include investing more in branches."

Ms Press said £6m had been invested in 25 branches across Northern Ireland over the past six years.

She said the business had to make "difficult decisions to close certain branches that are being used less and are no longer sustainable".

"We do not make these decisions lightly," she added.