A building society has announced it is set to shut two of its three Norfolk branches.

The Nottingham will shut branches in Fakenham and Thetford, in addition to 15 others, before the end of the year.

Staff are due to be offered roles in other locations or within the wider business.

It means the company's only remaining Norfolk branch will be on Dereham High Street.

The society's decision to close more than a third of its shops has been put down to "changing consumer behaviour" which "accelerated" during the coronavirus pandemic.

Its total number of branches is being reduced from 48 to 31, covering seven counties.

Kathryn Kitson, head of branch network at The Nottingham, admitted having such a significant high street presence was "no longer sustainable".

Other locations set to close include Spalding, Leicester City, Melton Mowbray and March.

Ms Kitson said: “Following a thorough review of how our members are using our network, it became clear we have too many branches for the size of building society that we are.

"Since Covid, while some members have returned, many have not, leaving a number of our branches with very low levels of transactions and usage.

"Therefore, we’ve made the hugely difficult decision to close 17 branches in locations where the level of activity in the branch has reached a point where it is no longer sustainable."

She added: “We appreciate this is disappointing news for both the members who use one of the affected branches, and our colleagues who work there.

"However, we have been thorough and considered when making decisions on which branches to close, trying to ensure there are options in place for more vulnerable members and taking into account the impact on the communities our branches serve.

“The decision to close branches is never one that is taken lightly, so our absolute priority is doing all we can to provide the best possible support for all those impacted by these changes.”

The Nottingham said it was "in the process of communicating with members connected to the impacted branches".

A redeployment programme will see employees offered new roles, or enhanced redundancy pay if they leave the business.