Santander has announced plans to close 44 bank branches, placing almost 300 jobs at risk. News of the fresh closures come less than a year after it revealed plans to shut 95 sites. Santander UK said its latest decision would leave it with just 244 full service branches. Its surviving network will also consist of 19 counter-free branches, 36 reduced-hour branches, six work cafes and 111 Santander Locals. A Santander spokeswoman said: "We will continue to invest in both our branch network - comprising of full-service branches, counter-free branches, reduced-hour branches, Santander Locals, and our increasingly popular work cafes - as well as our digital banking services, so we can be there to support our customers however they choose to bank with us."