Santander branches in Cheam and Worcester Park are set to shut following the announcement of closures nationwide - putting more than 1,200 jobs are at risk.

The bank says it's in talks with unions and hopes to find alternative roles for 1,270 employees who will be affected by the major move.

The 140 branches set to shut before the end of 2019 are ones which are infrequently visited by customers and those which are near to other ones.

Both the Cheam and Worcester Park banks will shut in June this year.

By the end of this year the banking group will reportedly retain a portfolio of 614 branches, as customers also have the option to bank with more than 11,000 Post Offices in the UK.

It comes as the Post Office moves out of its branch in Grove Road to a "dedicated area" in WHSmith in Sutton High Street - roughly a quarter of a mile away.

Santander's major announcement also arrives as the number of transactions carried out at their branches dropped by nearly a quarter (23 percent) during the past three years.

Conversely, mobile phone transactions have risen by 99 percent.

Santander branches closing:

- Cheam: 8 The Broadway, SM3 8AY (June 6, 2019)

- Worcester Park: 101 Central Road, KT4 8DP (June 20, 2019)