Figures released by Which? found that a total of 1,046 branches were shut between January 2015 and January 2017, with rural areas such as Wales, Scotland and south west England among the worst affected.

HSBC was revealed to have made the most cuts, with 321, or 27%, of its branch network closing during this period.

Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Bank and Barclays also made significant closures, shutting 191, 180 and 132 branches respectively.

Peter Vicary-Smith, chief executive officer at Which?, said: “Access to the services necessary to make everyday banking possible should be simple and straightforward.

“We've seen some good examples of banks acting responsibly and in the interest of local communities when they close branches.

“However, banks can and must do a better job of working with their customers to understand their needs and those of a local community, especially when they are making changes to the services they offer or closing branches.”

A spokesperson for HSBC explained that overall footfall in its branches had fallen by over 40%, with 93% of contact now completed via telephone, internet or smartphone.

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Furthermore, 97% of cash withdrawals are now made via an ATM.

HSBC stated: “We recognise that our branches are an important way for our customers to bank with us, and we remain committed to offering our customers access to a well-located and high-quality branch network.

“When we do make the decision to close a branch, our main priority is to ensure that our customers and their banking needs are catered for in the best way possible.”

Meanwhile, Lloyds Banking Group stressed that it was introducing new mobile banking branches to a number of the locations affected by recent closures.

A spokesperson for Lloyds Banking Group added: “When making a decision to close a branch, we take into account several factors, including customer usage and the availability of nearby banking alternatives, including services provided by the Post Office and free to use ATMs.

“We do not take the decision to close any branch lightly, but the changing ways our customers choose to bank with us and the accelerated uptake of digital services means fewer people are using our branches as frequently.”

Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays have been approached for comment.