HSBC is set to close branches in Suffolk and Essex this year as part of a nationwide cull.

Its Hamilton Road, Felixstowe branch and another in Colchester are among the casualties as it revealed plans to close 82 high street bank branches this year.

But the bank said it aims to redeploy the vast majority of staff to nearby branches and does not expect any redundancies from the move, as more customers turn to online services.

Jackie Uhi, HSBC UK's head of network, said: "The Covid-19 pandemic has emphasised the need for the changes that we are making.

"It hasn't pushed us in a different direction but reinforces the things that we were focusing on before and has crystallised our thinking.

"This is a strategic direction that we need to take to have a branch network fit for the future."

The Felixstowe branch is earmarked for closure on July 23 this year, while the North Station Road, Colchester, branch is due to shut on June 4.

Colchester MP Will Quince said of the Colchester branch closure plans: "It is deeply regrettable when any local bank branch closes and my thoughts are with the staff affected. Many people are now banking online or over the telephone and we do have a larger HSBC branch on Colchester High Street which is less than a mile away from the branch set to close."