Earlier this week, Lloyds Banking Group announced plans to close 49 branches and cut 665 jobs as part of its wider role reductions announced in October 2014.

However, Unite has now voiced concerns over how these closures may impact both employees and customers alike.

Rob MacGregor, Unite national officer, said: “It is alarming that Lloyds are continuing this programme of job cuts and branch closures.

“Unite has expressed to the bank that these ongoing cuts hurt our members and inevitably impact customers.

“Unite has made it clear that ‘efficiency’ cannot simply mean axing more jobs, while expecting the same work to fall on fewer shoulders.”

Last month, Lloyds Banking Group revealed that it would be cutting 1,340 jobs within its group operations, retail, customer products and marketing, finance and risk divisions.

This latest string of cuts will see 665 jobs lost among its retail, commercial banking, insurance, legal and strategy, consumer finance, group operations and risk division.

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The group will also begin closing 49 branches from the first quarter of 2017.

Meanwhile, 145 new roles will be created across the same divisions facing cuts.

Commenting on the cuts, a Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson said: “This reflects changing customer needs, and the reduced number of transactions being made in branches.

“However, branches absolutely remain an important element in our multi-channel approach to meeting the full range of customer needs, and we expect to continue to have the biggest branch network in the UK.”

The group will introduce a new mobile branch service for Lloyds Bank to help ensure there is a continuity of branch banking services available in some of the areas affected by the closures.

The spokesperson added: “This process involves taking difficult decisions, and we are committed to working through these changes in a careful and sensitive way.

“All affected employees have been briefed by their line manager today.

“Accord and Unite were consulted prior to this announcement and will continue to be consulted.”

The bank insisted that where it is necessary for employees to leave the company, it will look to achieve this by offering voluntary redundancy, with compulsory always a last resort.