TWO branches of NatWest are set for closure, while a third will have reduced opening hours, bosses from the bank have confirmed.

NatWest in Fordingbridge will shut its doors on July 27, while the branch in Sturminster Newton is due to close the following day, July 28.

Ferndown's branch is due to close earlier on weekdays, and will not open at all at the weekend.

The number of transactions at the Fordingbridge bank has dropped by 40 per cent since 2011.

Just 32 customers still use the branch on a weekly basis, with 18 of those already using other branches in the area.

There are three free ATMs within a mile of the bank, but the nearest NatWest will be in Ringwood, more than six miles away.

However, customers who rely on the NatWest will be able to pay in, take cash out and check their balances at the nearest Post Office instead.

In Sturminster Newton, the number of transactions has dropped by 29 per cent since 2011, with 40 customers using the branch regularly.

Of these customers, 17 already use other branches in the area.

A mobile NatWest service will be provided instead, and customers can use four free ATMs within a mile of the existing site.

Customers will also be able to access services at the Post Office.

The next nearest branch of the bank is in Blandford - nine miles away.

Ferndown's NatWest will now open from 10.30am until 3.30pm Monday to Friday.

It will be closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Customers wishing to visit the bank after these hours will have to travel to Bournemouth's Castlepoint 4.8 miles away instead.

A spokesperson from NatWest said the closures were a "difficult decision".

"Our branches remain an important part of the service we provide customers," he said.

"We have significantly invested in our network over recent years, refurbishing over half of our branches. In 2016 we’re investing a further £100m on ATMs and our branch network.

"We are committed to following the UK government protocol on branch closures, and we have made the decision following careful consideration of a wide range of factors including branch usage and the alternative ways our customers can bank with us locally."

Branch transactions nationally have dropped by almost half since 2010 as customers turn to online and mobile banking instead.