York Outer has been named among the worst constituencies for bank access in the UK.

More than three in every five bank branches across the UK have closed their doors permanently since 2015, according to Which?.

The consumer choice brand found 6,161 branches have been shut across the UK since 2015, representing more than three-fifths (62 per cent) of the banking network.

Across the UK, there are 30 parliamentary constituencies - including York Outer -without a bank branch, while another 56 are left with only one remaining branch, researchers said.

The York Outer constituency is now represented by Luke Charters of the Labour Party.

York Outer MP, Luke Charters (Image: Newsquest)

"I previously worked at the financial conduct authority (FCA), and we looked at access to banks and the rate of closures," he told The Press.

Mr Charters said that banking provision is a particular "area of interest" for him as an MP.

"I think there was a lack of joined up thinking from the previous Government on this issue.

"It's a bit of a quirk of York that so much of the economy is outside the city's centre. You've got places like Haxby, Wigginton, Bishopthorpe, that are all community hubs with businesses."

In the hope of helping to improve bank access for his constituents, Mr Charters backed the Government's pledge to open 350 banking hubs in the next five years.

Unlike a typical bank, banking hubs are locations where people can do their banking face to face.

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Hubs are often shared by multiple banks, and serve both personal and business customers. Typically, they can be found in Post Offices.

"I really hope the Government will implement the 350 banking hub pledge, it would be really helpful to our residents," Mr Charters added.

"I set up my first bank account as a child in Haxby in what used to be the HSBC, that's not there for residents anymore.

"For some residents of York Outer you could be 40 minutes away from a bank because of the traffic in York.

"That's why I'm making a pledge to campaign for a banking hub for York Outer."

"We're not a cashless society, we've got businesses that depend on cash. There's so many challenges to owning a business, we don't need to make it harder."

New rules overseen by FCA regulator came into effect recently which mean banks will need to give more consideration to a local community’s cash needs before deciding to close a branch.