Two Barclays banks, less than seven miles away from one another, are set to close.

The branches at Bluewater Shopping Centre and the other in Gravesend are due to shut in a few months after it was found that almost 100% of customers use the Barclays app for online banking.

Their closures mean people will have to travel to Chatham, Dartford or Bexleyheath for their nearest branch.

A Barclays spokesman said: “Back when we opened this branch, visiting us in person was one of the only ways to do your banking.

“Now, as there are lots of ways to manage your money without even leaving your home, we’re seeing many customers choosing to bank using our app, and online or telephone banking.

“This has had a big impact on the number of customers coming in to see us.

“When deciding whether to close this branch, we looked carefully at how it’s been used and how customers are banking in other ways.”

Its Bluewater store will close on Friday, April 26, and its New Road branch in Gravesham will close on Friday, May 3.

At both branches it was found that 93% of people who use the stores have also banked using the app, online and by phone in 2022.

The Bluewater bank had seen just 12 customers use the branch regularly as the only way to do their banking whilst the Gravesend branch had 201 people using the bank.

The announcement comes just a few days after it was confirmed another of the county’s town centres was set to lose its Barclays.

It was announced that the bank would close its site in Queen Street, Ramsgate in April after it was revealed less than 10 per cent of customers use the branch as the sole method to manage their funds.

The Barclays spokesman added: “We want to reassure you that we’re here to help.

“We’ll stay in your community and you’ll be able to talk to us in person.

“We’re finalising the details of where we’ll be based, and when, to support you with your banking, and we‘ll share the details locally once confirmed.

“We’ll be available to help you with things like day-to-day banking queries and helping you manage your money, though there won’t be access to cash at this site.

“We’ll also add the location and opening times on our website – just search ‘findbarclays’.”