A BRANCH of Yorkshire Bank in Bradford will close down, it has been announced.

The closure of the West Bowling branch on Manchester Road is one of 39 closures nationwide by Yorkshire Bank. It will shut on May 19.

The bank's city centre base, on the corner of Bank Street and Broadway, will stay open. It is 1.5 miles away from the West Bowling branch.

Gavin Opperman, customer banking director at Yorkshire Bank, said: "While the decision to close any branch is never an easy one, it is important that we, in line with other banks operating in the UK market, continue to respond to changes in the way customers want to bank with us.

"The changes announced today continue our journey towards a model that combines an enhanced digital platform with a right sized branch network; allowing customers to interact with us through a wide range of channels – mobile, online, telephone, in-branch – whenever and however they want."

Yorkshire Bank said that since 2011 the number of customers using their bank for day-to-day transactions across the banking industry in the UK had fallen by a third.

A spokesman for Yorkshire Bank said it was too early to say how many jobs would be affected, and added: "The bank's first priority is to our customers and we will be working extensively with impacted customers, local communities and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the transition to their new branch is as smooth and as sensitive as possible, particularly where vulnerable customers are concerned.

"It is also the bank's intention to try to find roles for frontline branch staff either within other branches or elsewhere in the bank, wherever possible. "However, there will inevitably be employee number reductions as a result of these changes. We anticipate that around 200 Yorkshire Bank staff will be at risk of redundancy and subject to our redeployment process. All employees affected by these changes will be fully supported through the process."

Posters will be placed in each affected branch telling customers about the impending closure. Written notification will be sent at least 12 weeks before closure.