THREE Royal Bank of Scotland in Trafford are set to close later this year.

The lender today announced the closure of 162 branches in England and Wales, resulting in 792 job losses.

It has been revealed that branches in Hale, Urmston and Sale are among those that will shut.

The Sale branch will shut its doors for the final time on August 21, while the Urmston branch will close on August 29, and Hale on November 8.

RBS, which is still 72pc owned by the taxpayer, says the move is linked to it not having to sell its Williams & Glyn business.

As a result, the group has branches in close proximity to each other and is seeking to reduce overlap.

RBS said: "Following a review of the branch network in England and Wales a decision has been taken to close 162 Royal Bank of Scotland branches.

"As a result of this process, around 792 roles will be made redundant, and we will seek to support our colleagues with the option to leave on a voluntary basis."

Last year, RBS avoided the compulsory sale of Williams & Glyn, which had been ordered by regulators as part of the bank's obligations under state aid rules following its £45 billion government bailout at the height of the financial crisis.

Instead, RBS will put up money to be shared among so-called "challenger banks" to help them better compete with bigger players.

The closures will come as RBS reintegrates Williams & Glyn, including its branch network, back into the core bank.

A total of 109 branches will close in late July and August 2018. These branches are within 0.6 miles of another Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest branch, the group said.

A further 53 branches will close in November 2018, all of which are between 0.6 and 2.5 miles of another Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest branch.

An RBS spokesman said: "We are no longer launching Williams & Glyn as a challenger bank, and we now have two branch networks operating in close proximity to each other; NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland, in England and Wales.

"As a result we have had to review our overall branch footprint in England and Wales and we've made the difficult decision to close a number of Royal Bank of Scotland branches. Customers of Royal Bank of Scotland in England and Wales will be able to use NatWest branches instead for their everyday banking needs.

"We now provide our customers with more ways to bank with us than ever before - customers can choose from a range of digital, face-to-face and local options to suit their needs."

RBS also pointed out that since 2014, branch transactions across its English and Welsh operations are down 30 per cent, while there has been a 53 per cent increase in the number of customers using mobile banking, and mobile transactions have increased by 74 per cent.

The union Unite, which represents the bank’s workforce, says the announcement has shocked staff.

Rob MacGregor Unite national officer said: “The Williams and Glyn saga rolls on as Royal Bank of Scotland continues with its shambolically poor management of this business. How does a taxpayer funded institution spend £1.8 billion on a failed IT project and in the next breath demolish the much needed local bank branches? 

“Today nearly 1,000 employees have finally been told of their dark futures because the bank has been calamitously managed for too long. Ending years of speculation Royal Bank of Scotland has effectively turned its back on the Williams and Glyn customers and staff.

“The TSB computer systems crash last week has demonstrated without question that the banking system needs its branch network more than it ever has. Unite is calling on the Royal Bank of Scotland management not to abandon their responsibilities to the communities across the country who depend on Williams and Glynn banking facilities. These plans can not be put into motion for the sake of consumers and staff. 

“The reality is that as a result of these planned closures the overwhelming majority of customers will find themselves without access to full banking facilities and in the most extreme examples some will find themselves having to make a round trip of circa 130 miles.” 

"The bank spent £1.8 billion last year trying to set up Williams and Glyn as a stand-alone bank. Nobody has been held to account for this enormous failed IT project and yet the workforce is paying the price for such poor management in the form of their jobs. 

"Affected branches will close in two tranches, the first in July and August 2018 with the remainder closing in October and November 2018. The north-west region is one of the biggest impacted with 62 branches closing, while all other regions across England and Wales will also see branch closures. 

"The union is clear that the bank is relying on the nearby presence of another branch be that RBS or NatWest (where limited services only will be available), and/or a post office which provides a restricted counter service only. The reality is that as a result of these planned closures the overwhelming majority of customers will find themselves without access to full banking facilities and in the most extreme examples some will find themselves having to make a round trip of circa 130 miles."

The full list of branch closures can be found at https://personal.rbs.co.uk/personal/ways-to-bank-EW/branch-closures-EW.html.