FOUR major high street banks are closing nearly 20 branches for good next week in a blow for households.
Halifax, Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and TSB are shutting 18 sites across the UK between them, according to the latest data from ATM provider LINK.
Halifax is to permanently close two branches in England while Lloyds is shuttering six across the country.
RBS is closing three branches in Scotland while TSB is closing seven locations across England, Scotland and Wales.
It comes after The Sun revealed 55 Lloyds Banking Group sites will close for good in 2025.
Meanwhile, 69 branches are set to shut just this month in towns and cities including Hounslow, Portishead and Felixstowe.
Banks and building societies have shut around 6,000 branches since 2015 — at a rate of 54 each month — to almost half the number of branches that existed a decade ago.
Since 2022, almost 1,500 branch closures have been announced, according to data from LINK.
Here is the list of bank branches closing next week, and their final opening dates:
The latest data from the British Banking Association (BBA) from 1986 to 2012 and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) from 2012 to 2023 reveals that the number of bank branches in operation in the UK fell from 14,689 in 1986 to 5,745 in 2023 – a loss of 8,944.
Over the same period, the number of building society branches in operation plummeted from 6,954 to 1,925.
The loss of bank branches across high streets has been attributed to banking customers’ changing habits and the onset of online banking.
However, the mass closure of banks has led to fears those without access to computers, phones and transport, like the elderly, are being left behind.
In 2021, then chair of the House of Commons Treasury Committee, Mel Stride, wrote to several high street banks about branch closures.
In a letter response from the chief executive of Barclays UK, Matt Hammerstein said “profound technological changes” had seen the need for physical branches “experience a sustained fall”.
TSB Bank also said at the time that over 90% of its transactions were done digitally and over 67% of its customers used mobile, online or telephone banking.
Customers are being forgotten, writes The Sun’s Head of Consumer, Tara Evans.
With branches closing and online banking taking over, customers can be left feeling cut off.
We wrote about forgotten customers back in July on our Sun Money pages in our weekly newspaper section.
People like David Elkins, 82, a retired service engineer from Calne, Wilts, who saw his HSBC branch close in 2023 and had to travel ten miles to the next nearest.
He has a kidney issue and needs frequent dialysis, making it impractical.
Banking hubs are emerging as a solution to address the gaps left by widespread closures – but there are not enough of them.
There are plans for 146 of these, but so far there are only 60.
You can use one of the Post Office’s 11,635 branches to perform basic banking tasks, but they don’t allow you to open or close accounts for example.
If a recent bank or building society closure has left you without one nearby, you have some alternatives.
You can carry out most basic banking tasks at your nearest Post Office, although you won’t be able to apply for a loan or open a new bank account there.
You can find your nearest Post Office branch by using the locator tool on its website.
Some banks offer a mobile banking service – a bus that comes to your area offering services you can usually get at a physical branch.
Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services.
It’s worth contacting your bank to see what services they have available, and when they might next be in your area.
If you’re thinking about giving online banking a go, comparison website Uswitch has a useful guide on all the need to knows.
You could also switch your current account to a bank or building society that has branches closer to you.
You can switch current accounts for free, in most cases, through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
ANTON Du Beke breaks his silence on the Strictly scandal after his best friend Giovanni Pernice was axed.
The Strictly judge addressed professional dancer Giovanni’s axe after a former contestant branded him “abusive, cruel and mean.”
Amanda Abbington, who took part in 2023, spoke out against pro partner Giovanni Pernice.
The 50-year-old actress complained to the BBC that she had suffered five weeks of inappropriate behaviour before ultimately pulling out of the show.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun on Sunday, Amanda said: “I found Giovanni’s behaviour unnecessary, abusive, cruel and mean.
“I couldn’t sit back and let him do that to other people.
“I had to think long and hard about making a complaint because I knew the backlash I would get.
“But I would not have been able to live with myself for future people going on that show.”
The Sun TV Mag asked Anton if he would like to see Giovanni back on the BBC talent show.
He said: “I’d like to see him back of course, but we’ll enjoy Aljaz, and his new efforts on the show this year, and we’ll move forward.
“We get a whole new bunch of celebrities, and we go on from there.”
Addressing the scandal, Anton added: “It’s one of those situations where I sort of feel like I’m on the outside looking in, because it’s about stuff that of which I’m not involved in, any more.
“So I’m not part of the…. but it’s, you know, you don’t. You Never want any bad press, if you like, or anybody to say anything negative about the thing that you love.
“So I feel sad but I’m sort of waiting it… I’ve been waiting for it to sort of get through this part and then get on with the new show.
“Really, I think we’ve, I think there’s been a sort of period of time now that we’ve been waiting for the new show to start so we can, we can get on with the good stuff, really.
“Yeah, you never, you never want anything unpleasant to be said about the thing you so it’s been, it’s been unfortunate, and I hope it, I hope we have, hope we have a great series.
“You’re always disappointed if somebody doesn’t have a good time.
Strictly Come Dancing's scandal has been growing over the past few months, with several major players speaking out about what went on. Here are the key moments of what's happened so far
16th May: Giovanni Pernice sensationally quits Strictly Come Dancing after nine years on the show.
17th May: Giovanni becomes the centre of an official investigation after three former partners – believed to be Amanda Abbington, Laura Whitmore and Ranvir Singh – make complaints to the BBC.
16th June: Giovanni releases an official statement vowing to clear his name and denies any wrongdoing.
8th July: Strictly confirms Aljaz Skorjanec will return to the series, replacing Giovanni, after initially quitting the show two years ago.
10th July: Amanda Abbington launches fresh legal proceedings to get the rehearsal footage from her time with Giovanni, after allegedly he refused to release the videos.
13th July: Graziano Di Prima is axed from Strictly for “gross misconduct” after footage of his treatment of Zara McDermott is brought to the attention of the BBC.
Graziano quickly broke his silence, apologising for his behaviour in a statement and saying he “deeply regrets it”, adding his “intense passion and determination to win might have affected his training regime.”
15th July: Strictly bosses implement new duty of care protocols, including having a chaperone present throughout all rehearsals.
16th July: Zara McDermott speaks out publicly for first time. She states while the production team were “amazing to work with”, she found the rehearsal room “completely different”, confirming there’s footage of “certain situations”.
19th July: Anton Du Beke is put under the spotlight for his “1970s attitude” and treatment of female celeb stars, particularly after allegedly referring to 2009 partner Laila Rouass as a “p***” after getting a spray tan.
21st July: Paralympian Will Bayley, who has limb condition arthrogryposis, revealed he was encouraged to leap from a table during a dance routine, despite fears. The stunt caused an injury that forced him to withdraw from the show.
22nd July: MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace admits he broke down in tears and got a nasty stress rash on his face during his time on Strictly in 2014.
22nd July: Despite ongoing issues, the Strictly professional cast begin rehearsals for this year’s series.
23rd July: Celebrity agent Melanie Blake claims she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed pro dancer while backstage on the show, and claims she witnessed ageism, rudeness and a rough treatment to the point of injury.
23rd July: Strictly is forced to beef up security after ‘an intruder scales the wall of the rehearsal studio’.
23rd July: BBC boss Tim Davie breaks his silence on the ongoing allegations against Strictly, saying he is ‘deeply sorry’, adding: “Hundreds of people, be they pros, contestants or crew have been part of it and had a brilliant experience.
“At the same time if someone thinks there was something wrong or they want to talk about their experience then of course we want them to raise that with us. Be in no doubt we will take it seriously, listen and deal with it as appropriate.”
24th July: Strictly 2023 star Krishnan Guru-Murthy holds a bombshell interview with Amanda Abbington on Channel 4 news, where she claims she was bullied, with some of the ‘humilation being of a sexual nature’.
27th July: Laura Whitmore releases a statement regarding her Strictly experience, saying “I thought my experience was specific to me but I’ve since learned I was wrong”.
She adds she is not part of the official complaint, but has come forward to support Amanda with the BBC, alongside others.
28th July: Laila Rouass speaks out against the accusations regarding Anton Du Beke, saying she “never felt pressured” by him and “personally insisted on six to seven hours training a day”.
10th August: Graziano breaks his silence on his Strictly axe, saying “these vile, false allegations have ruined my life.”
He also told of the “shocking” end to his friendship with Zara McDermott.
We also revealed that Amanda Abbington was also quizzed for a second time as Strictly execs recruited 15 new staff to monitor rehearsals.
11th August: Just as the investigation was expected to conclude, Amanda made a dramatic intervention. Giovanni was on the brink of being cleared until Amanda handed in more text messages.
24th August: Graziano Di Prima called in top lawyers to sue the BBC and to try to clear his name. He recruited big hitters Whitestone Chambers to fight his corner.
A source said: “They’ve also looked at his BBC contract and believe there are grounds to sue.”
Meanwhile, the BBC also delayed releasing the findings of the probe into Giovanni Pernice. The Sun revealed that the results of the three-month investigation were unlikely to be announced in August.
“And you know, you wish, you wish that they did, but it’s sort of one of those things, isn’t it? And then you just, you hope that, you know, 99% of people did have a great time. And you focus on that.”
Fellow pro dancer Graziano Di Prima was axed over allegations of physical and verbal behaviour towards his former dance partner Zara McDermott.
The BBC released a statement saying: “We can confirm that Graziano Di Prima is no longer a part of the line-up of professional dancers for the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing.
“While we would never comment on individual cases, it is well-known that the BBC has established and robust duty of care procedures, and if issues are raised we will always take them seriously and act swiftly as appropriate.”
A Beeb source told The Sun: “They moved very quickly in this situation and have offered Zara support she needs.
“It’s a shock for everyone involved.”
2024 contestant, Toyah Willcox, has opened up about the extreme measures taken to keep the show’s celebs safe this year.
The singer-songwriter, 66, said “I feel safe with this team.
“We have a psychologist with us all day, an amazing celeb producer, stunning press team… it’s a long time since I have felt this well looked after.
“What I mean by this is touring demands a level of complete independence, I do my own make up, carry my costumes etc, here in Strictly world they want us celebs to know they are here to support us 360 degrees.”
Series 22 of Strictly Come Dancing launches on September 14.
I’VE spotted an impressive price drop on a laptop brand that could easily be missed.
The Jumper 15.6-inch S7-Hi Laptop has dropped from £449.99 to £229.99, and tech fans have been left impressed.
Jumper 15.6-inch S7-Hi Laptop, £449.99 £229.99
With so many manufacturers and models on offer, it’s not always easy to know which laptop is right for both your needs and your budget.
Luckily for tech lovers looking for a new laptop, I’ve limbered up my shopping muscles and found a fantastic offer at Amazon.
The Jumper S7-Hi Laptop has received a hefty 49% discount, meaning shoppers can now bag a new laptop for just shy of £230.
It boasts a 15.6-inch Full HD display ideal for crunching spreadsheets or more enjoyable persuits like streaming a movie.
It also boasts an ultra-thin design, with the laptop weighing just 3.6 lbs; a pretty impressive feat for a laptop of this size.
This makes this particular product a perfect option for anyone who needs to stay online while on the move.
Under the hood, it comes with 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD, which I’d expect to see on a device of this class, and will handle those day to day tasks with ease.
So, while it may not be a household name like HP or Dell, we’ve seen this model on offer before, and it’ll serve you just as well.
Shoppers appear just as impressed as I am, with the laptop receiving a solid 4.3-star rating from Amazon customers.
One user who described the device as ‘efficient’ wrote: ‘This laptop performs well overall, making it ideal for daily work and study.
‘The 15.6-inch Full HD display offers clear visuals, whether you’re working on documents, browsing the web, or watching videos, providing a comfortable viewing experience.’
Elsewhere on the Amazon website, a second shopper dubbed it ‘excellent value’, adding: ‘I bought this laptop for everyday use for browsing the internet and playing browser-based games.
‘I am very impressed with how stylish it looks, and the build quality is certainly on par with well-established rivals.
‘This model comes with a silicone protective cover for the keyboard which is a nice touch that other brands do not provide as standard.’
A third reviewer noted: ‘This was on special offer when purchased and having never heard of Jumper it was a leap of faith.
‘What an excellent purchase it has turned out to be, my daughter thinks it’s the best thing since sliced bread, very powerful and so quick, the perfect laptop for a hardworking student.’
In a nice touch, shoppers will also benefit from a one-year pre-installed Office 365 subscription in addition to that saving over £200.
That means you can access software such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote at no extra cost for 12 months.
Last week I also covered an offer on a little-known laptop that customers are calling a ‘must-buy’, and that’s not all.
I’ve also stumbled across two unmissable mobile phone deals including a lesser-known Android phone that comes with unlimited data, and a fantastic discount on a beloved ’00s brand.
Jumper 15.6-inch S7-Hi Laptop, £449.99 £229.99
Discover more top deals and savings at your favourite tech retailers by heading to Sun Vouchers. Sun Vouchers is the one-stop shop where you can find hundreds of discount codes for top chains including Currys, Argos, AliExpress, Dyson and more.
We’re always searching to get you the hottest tech deals, so you can score the best prices around.
Check out our tech shopping hub for a roundup of our top picks.
CELEBS love to flaunt their abs.
And who can blame them, when they look as chiselled as Taylor Momsen or Rita Ora, who showed off their incredible physiques this week.
A personal trainer familiar with celebrities and their tight schedules is Sarah Lindsay, a three-time Winter Olympian and the owner of Roar Fitness gyms in London and Dubai.
She’s trained Piers Morgan, Pixie Lott and Sheridan Smith among others over the years, having opened the first Roar Fitness in 2016.
Sarah knows a thing or two about keeping workouts effective and snappy – and has today shared an ab routine she always gives her clients using five key exercises.
And Jennifer Aniston would be a fan – this week her trainer posted a video showing Jen during an intense session that appeared to focus on core moves such as bird dog and side plank.
The workout is suitable for beginners, but equally, as a fitness professional, Sarah still uses them within her training programs herself.
It doesn’t need a gym or equipment and can be made harder or easier, depending on your level of fitness.
The workout will tone the ‘six pack’ but also strengthen core muscles, making everyday movement easier.
Sarah says: “The reps will depend on current strength and ability.
“The first time you do the workout- use it as a benchmark to see how many reps you can do with good form.
“Note them down then simply work on increasing the reps as you adapt and get stronger.”
Alternatively, you could do each exercise for 30 seconds with a 30 second rest in between.
Get into a high plank position with your wrists underneath your shoulders.
Your body should be in a straight line and be sure to keep your gaze down to the floor.
Engage your core and keep your body as still as possible as you take your left hand and tap your right shoulder.
Slowly return the left hand to the ground, then take your right hand and tap your left shoulder. Keep alternating hands.
This move is a little more advanced but definitely worth a try.
Get into a forearm side plank. Your left elbow and forearm should be on the floor, your legs should be stacked one on top of the other and your right hand can be placed on your top hip for support.
If you prefer, you can stay in this side plank position, otherwise, bend your top knee and drive it up towards your chest.
Pause, then straighten it back out to the start position.
Struggling? Drop the knee of your bottom leg down to the floor.
Get onto all fours, with your knees directly under your hips and your wrists under your shoulders.
Slowly lengthen your left leg out behind you whilst simultaneously reaching your right arm straight in front of you.
All the while, keep your spine flat and torso as still as possible.
Make sure your gaze stays down and your spine and neck stay in alignment.
Next, return your arm and leg to the start, before repeating the same movement with your right leg and left arm.
The opposite of bird dog is dead bug, where the movement is essentially reversed as you lie on your back instead of being on all fours.
Bend your knees so they are at a right angle above the ground and lift your arms up straight above you, or straighten your arms and place your hands on your thighs.
Then, extend your left arm straight behind you so your arm hovers just above the ground, and straighten your right leg, so it also hovers the ground.
Although this move requires no actual movement, it keeps your abs muscles under tension, which in turn helps them to pop!
Lie back on the ground with arms overhead.
Then, lift your head and shoulders off the floor, keeping your arms up straight past your ears, and also lift your legs off the ground.
Stay here for as long as you can, staying as still as possible.
If you’ve been hitting the treadmill day in, day out, but you still can’t see your abs muscles popping, it’s time to look at a number of factors that contribute to your tummy and abs.
Calorie deficit
No matter how many ab workouts you do, you may not see the results if you are carrying a lot of extra weight.
While it’s still worth doing ab and core workouts, lose body fat by focusing on eating a calorie deficit, which is when you eat less calories than you are burning.
You can use a calculator such as https://tdeecalculator.net/ to figure out how many calories to eat based on your goals and how much activity you do.
Sarah says: “Everyone has abs but having visible abs purely comes down to how much body fat you have on your stomach.
“Cardio can help achieve a calorie deficit which can help you lose body fat but I don’t believe cardio alone is the best method of getting and staying leaner.”
Nutrition
Sarah says that nutrition plays a much larger role – ‘abs are made in the kitchen’, as the saying goes.
When it comes to what you should be eating, Sarah says that no foods in particular are bad for abs.
“Focus on the quality of your food to optimise health, as a healthy well functioning body will achieve goals faster,” she says.
It’s wise to eat enough so you can perform well at work and during your workouts; a balanced plate of wholesome carbs, proteins and fats is ideal.
Try Greek yoghurt with berries and oats for breakfast, a chicken salad with rice and greens for lunch, and fish, vegetables and potatoes or something similar for dinner.
Weight training
It’s also key to include weight training into your week as well as specific core training workouts, such as the one above.
Sarah says: “The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate which means you burn more calories at rest.
“This effectively means you can eat more (which means more nutrients) and not gain body fat.”
Plus, Sarah adds that the core is also hugely challenged in most weight training moves.
“For example I would argue that a back squat is as much of a core exercise for most people as it is a leg exercise,” she says.
If you’re new to weight training, start by using just your bodyweight and work up from there.