Santander has announced plans to close 44 branches - including its Pembrokeshire branch in Haverfordwest - stating it is responding to ‘changing customer behaviour’.

The Haverfordwest branch located at 37 Bridge Street, is set to close on May 5, this year.

Closing branches will be replaced by Community Bankers, operating either from a Santander Local or, where required, a Banking Hub.

A spokesperson for Santander UK, said:“In response to a continuing and sizeable shift towards customers using digital banking, we are making changes to our branches to better support our customers.

“We will continue to invest in both our branch network - comprising of full-service branches, counter-free branches, reduced-hour branches, Santander Locals, and our increasingly popular Work Cafés – as well as our digital banking services, so we can be there to support our customers however they choose to bank with us.”

A push continues to be made for a ‘banking hub’ to be brought to Pembroke Dock, to serve the people of South Pembrokeshire.

Lloyds Bank closed its branch in Pembroke Dock in June of last year, which followed the recent closures of all banks in Pembroke, Tenby, Saundersfoot, Narberth, Neyland, and Milford Haven (with only a Nationwide Building Society now remaining in Milford Haven).

“There’s no bank in all of South Pembrokeshire. Older residents, vulnerable people, and small businesses can’t always bank online or travel to Carmarthen or Haverfordwest when there’s a problem,” said local Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz.

“I’ve written to LINK asking them to hold a face-to-face meeting here in Pembroke Dock so they can hear directly from the community before the upcoming review of the Banking Hub decision.

“More than 1,500 residents and businesses have already signed the petition calling for a Banking Hub, your voices matter, and LINK needs to see for themselves how this affects real people.”