THE closure of two banks in Selby is “devastating news” for the district, two councillors have said.

Nat West announced last week it would close almost 160 branches around the country, at the cost of up to 362 jobs.

Among the branches confirmed for closure are 30 in the north of England, including the last two Nat West branches in the Selby district - currently in Bridge Street, Tadcaster, and in The Crescent,Selby.

Selby town mayor Steve Shaw-Wright said the news had “sent shock waves across the two towns”, and he was concerned both for the workers at the two branches and the customers affected by the closures.

He said: “This is a major loss to the economy of Selby town.

“Banking jobs are well paid with good prospects, I hope the staff in both sites can be relocated locally, I am also concerned about what will happen to the premises. Will it be yet another coffee shop, bar or charity shop or just left empty?”

Tadcaster Town Councillor Steve Cobb said the closure would cause problems for residents in the town, and would be left massively inconvenienced by the closure.

He said: “This is devastating news for the residents and traders in Tadcaster. With this closure, only one six-day-a week bank will be left in Tadcaster, and they do not accept multiple bags of coins, so this will affect many local businesses.

“Many local residents simply don’t do online or mobile banking and could lead to vulnerable residents keeping large amount of cash in their homes. I hope that the district and county councils can influence and assist in both securing good quality jobs for those involved in the closure, and bring in quality jobs to add to the commercial offer within Tadcaster and Selby.”