The last bank in Horwich is set to close with a 'banking hub' set up as a replacement.

The NatWest on Lee Lane is set to close alongside another 20 branches in England and two branches in Wales.

Marie Brady, a councillor on both Bolton Council and Horwich Council, was told of the decision on Wednesday.

Cllr Brady expressed concern over the impact of the closure on certain residents, in particular on older residents.

READ MORE: Bolton misses out on town centre and De Havilland Way bids.

She said: "It's the last bank in Horwich.

"We've got older residents who use cash and they're not comfortable with cards.

"And it's when something goes wrong, that's when you need a person to speak to.

"Especially when someone's been scammed, which unfortunately seems to happen more and more these days."

READ MORE: Bolton: Call for 'Levelling Up' to be 'hard-wired' into UK law.

Cllr Brady also expressed concern over the use of the empty building, at a time when a regeneration of the town centre is on the cards.

She said: "It's a beautiful building and it's an imposing building on the high street.

"We've got the regeneration to attract people to the town centre, but an empty building in a prominent position doesn't attract people."

Although NatWest is set to close, access to cash and simple transactions will be maintained.

A banking hub is set to open in the town, with a counter service provided by the Post Office and a face-to-face service with staff from different banks on a rotation.

A spokesperson said the NatWest on Lee Lane is to remain open until the banking hub is in operation, although no date is scheduled.

They said: "As with many industries, most of our customers are shifting to mobile banking and online banking, because it’s faster and easier for people to manage their financial lives.

"We understand and recognise that digital solutions are not right for everyone or every situation, and that when we close branches we have to make sure no one is left behind. We take our responsibility seriously to support the people who face challenges in moving online, so we are investing to provide them with support and alternatives that work for them."

RBS in Deansgate announced it was to close last October with services will be run from a nearby branch of NatWest, also on Deansgate, - which is part of the same group.

Royal Bank of Scotland on Deansgate to close

Here is a list of all the closures. Apart from Horwich and Shoreham-by-Sea, all are scheduled for April and May.

Birstall, Loughborough Road
Blackpool, Lytham Road
Bootle, Stanley Road
Broadwater, Broadwater Street
Colwyn Bay, Abergele Road
Cranbrook, High Street
Crawley, Gatwick Road
Dunstable, High Street
Exeter, Cowick Street
Fleet, Fleet Road
Frome, Market Place
Heslington, Main Street
Horwich, Lee Lane
Ilminster, East Street
Llansamlet, Phoenix Way
London, Clapham High Street
London, Marylebone High Street
Maidstone, Sutton Road
Sheerness, High Street
Shoreham-by-Sea, East Street
Southampton, Bitterne Road
Stroud, George Street
Torquay, Newton Road