More Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland branches are to close from May, the UK’s biggest banking group has announced.

A total of 95 branches – comprising 53 Lloyds, 31 Halifax and 11 Bank of Scotland sites – will shut between May this year and March 2027 under the latest closure plans, parent company Lloyds Banking Group has announced.

It’s in addition to another round of closures, which will see 49 sites close down by October. This followed 136 closures announced around a year ago.

After all these sites are shut, Lloyds, the UK’s biggest mortgage provider, will have 610 branches remaining.

The number of impacted staff has not been announced, but all those who work at the affected branches will be offered a role at another site or in another part of the business.

High street branches are closing down as customers increasingly turn to online banking.

More than 21 million customers use Lloyds’ apps as their main way to bank, the lender said.

The 95 branches due to shut are:

Lloyds Bank – Aberdare

Lloyds Bank – Altrincham

Lloyds Bank – Birkenhead

Lloyds Bank – Birmingham, Blackheath

Lloyds Bank – Birmingham, Bordesley Green

Lloyds Bank – Birmingham, Highters Heath

Lloyds Bank – Birmingham, Upper Kingstanding

Lloyds Bank – Bournemouth

Lloyds Bank – Bristol, Fishponds

Lloyds Bank – Cardiff, Victoria Park

Lloyds Bank – City of London, Cheapside

Lloyds Bank – Clevedon

Lloyds Bank – Coalville

Lloyds Bank – Crowborough

Lloyds Bank – Daventry

Lloyds Bank – Didcot

Lloyds Bank – Ebbw Vale

Lloyds Bank – Golders Green

Lloyds Bank – Heswall

Lloyds Bank – Hinckley

Lloyds Bank – Hoddesdon

Lloyds Bank – Honiton

Lloyds Bank – Horncastle

Lloyds Bank – Hull, Hessle Road

Lloyds Bank – Hull, Ings Road

Lloyds Bank – Kingswinford

Lloyds Bank – Lancaster

Lloyds Bank – Llangefni

Lloyds Bank – London, Camberwell

Lloyds Bank – London, Fitzrovia

Lloyds Bank – London, London Bridge

Lloyds Bank – London, Streatham

Lloyds Bank – London, Victoria

Lloyds Bank – London, West End

Lloyds Bank – Lymington

Lloyds Bank – Moreton-in-Marsh

Lloyds Bank – Newmarket (Suffolk)

Lloyds Bank – Norwich, Aylsham Road

Lloyds Bank – Reading, Woodley

Lloyds Bank – Redhill

Lloyds Bank – Ringwood

Lloyds Bank – Sevenoaks

Lloyds Bank – Southam

Lloyds Bank – Staines-upon-Thames

Lloyds Bank – Stoke-on-Trent, Longton

Lloyds Bank – Street (Somerset)

Lloyds Bank – Swansea, Winch Wen

Lloyds Bank – Tewkesbury

Lloyds Bank – Uttoxeter

Lloyds Bank – Wareham

Lloyds Bank – Wednesbury

Lloyds Bank – West Byfleet

Lloyds Bank – Wolverhampton, Tettenhall

Halifax – Ashington

Halifax – Ashton-under-Lyne

Halifax – Billingham

Halifax – Bognor Regis

Halifax – Bridgend

Halifax – Cardiff, Roath

Halifax – Chichester

Halifax – Chorley

Halifax – Croydon

Halifax – Cwmbran

Halifax – Doncaster, Armthorpe

Halifax – Ellesmere Port

Halifax – Goole

Halifax – Greenford

Halifax – Halesowen

Halifax – Horsham

Halifax – Leeds, Bramley

Halifax – Liverpool, Hunts Cross Shopping Park

Halifax – London, Hammersmith

Halifax – London, Pentonville

Halifax – London, Surrey Docks

Halifax – Manchester, Didsbury

Halifax – Mexborough

Halifax – Nottingham, Beeston

Halifax – Nottingham, West Bridgford

Halifax – Shipley

Halifax – Skelmersdale

Halifax – Southgate

Halifax – Sutton Coldfield

Halifax – Thornaby-on-Tees

Halifax – Torquay, Lymington Road

Bank of Scotland – Aberdeen, Bridge Of Don

Bank of Scotland – Balivanich

Bank of Scotland – Blairgowrie

Bank of Scotland – Broughty Ferry

Bank of Scotland – Glasgow, Baillieston

Bank of Scotland – Haddington

Bank of Scotland – Kelso

Bank of Scotland – Lochgilphead

Bank of Scotland – Penicuik, John Street

Bank of Scotland – Rutherglen

Bank of Scotland – Stonehaven

A spokeswoman for Lloyds said: “Customers want the freedom to bank in the way that works for them and we offer more choice and ways to manage money than ever before.

“From our leading apps and 24/7 messaging service to local banking options like our community bankers, PayPoint and access to all of our Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland branches, we’re giving our customers the flexibility to bank wherever and whenever they need us.”

What starts as a game can quietly turn into something much more serious. Parents across the country are paying closer attention after a Nebraska man was charged with kidnapping two sisters, ages 12 and 14. According to authorities, he first connected with the girls on Roblox and later continued the conversations on Snapchat.

Law enforcement says the suspect allegedly built trust with the girls online over time before traveling from Nebraska to Florida to meet them in person. Even though the girls left willingly, investigators classified the case as an abduction because of their age. That distinction matters and highlights how grooming can distort a child’s sense of safety and choice.

The case is a sobering reminder of how online grooming works and why social gaming platforms deserve closer scrutiny from families.

5 PHONE SAFETY TIPS EVERY PARENT SHOULD KNOW

Investigators say the suspect first contacted the girls through Roblox, showing how social gaming platforms can quietly become communication hubs. (Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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What Roblox and Snapchat really are

To understand how this happened, parents need to understand what these platforms actually do.

Roblox explained for parents and caregivers

Roblox is an online gaming platform where users create digital characters and play games made by other players. It is extremely popular with children and preteens, which is why many parents see it as harmless fun. What often gets overlooked is that Roblox is also a social platform. Kids can chat inside games, send direct messages and sometimes use voice chat. These conversations can happen with people they have never met in real life.

According to investigators, communication in this case began on Roblox as early as the summer of 2025. That long timeline reinforces a key reality about grooming. It is rarely sudden. It is built slowly through repeated contact that starts to feel normal to a child.

Snapchat explained for parents and caregivers

Snapchat is a messaging app widely used by teens and young users. It allows people to send photos, videos and messages that usually disappear after they are viewed. That disappearing feature is a major concern. Once conversations move to Snapchat, messages become private and harder for parents to monitor.

Investigators say communication continued on Snapchat after trust had already been established elsewhere. In many grooming cases, moving from a public or semi-public platform to private messaging is a turning point. 

Snapchat does include safety features designed to limit unwanted contact, especially for teens. But those protections are most effective before trust is established elsewhere. Once a child has already bonded with someone on another platform, private messaging apps can accelerate grooming quickly. Snapchat also offers a parental tool called Family Center that provides limited visibility into teen interactions, but many families do not activate it until after a problem arises.

How online grooming typically works

Grooming rarely happens all at once. It is a gradual process built on time, attention and emotional manipulation. It often starts with shared interests and casual conversation. Trust grows slowly. The relationship begins to feel familiar. Then secrecy enters the picture.

Authorities in this case said family members later noticed unusual behavior, including gifts and food deliveries showing up at the house. Investigators described this as part of the grooming process. Unexpected gifts tied to online contacts are a serious red flag, even when they seem harmless. Another common warning sign is secrecy. Requests like do not tell your parents or this is just between us are intentional. They isolate a child and make intervention harder.

Another warning sign is sudden contact from someone outside a child’s normal geographic or social circle, especially when paired with urgency, flattery, or offers of gifts.

Why this matters for every family

Technology changes fast. Kids adapt even faster. Parents often assume platforms are watching closely enough to catch problems early.  Both Roblox and Snapchat say they are cooperating with law enforcement and have safety measures in place. But cooperation after harm occurs is not the same as prevention before trust is built. Authorities stress that no platform can replace parental vigilance. No system is perfect. The most effective protection is awareness, conversation and involvement.

Matt Kaufman, Roblox’s chief safety officer, told CyberGuy, 

“We are investigating this deeply troubling incident and will fully support law enforcement. Roblox has robust safety policies to protect users that go beyond many other platforms, and advanced safeguards that monitor for harmful content and communications. We have filters designed to block the sharing of personal information, don’t allow user-to-user image or video sharing, and recently rolled out age checks globally to limit kids and teens to chatting with others their age by default. While no system is perfect, our commitment to safety never ends, and we continue to strengthen protections to keep users safe.”

Meanwhile, a Snap company spokesperson provided CyberGuy with the following statement,

Law enforcement described the case as an abduction, even though the girls left willingly, highlighting how online grooming can distort a child’s sense of safety. (CyberGuy.com)

“Our hearts go out to the family affected by this tragic incident, and we are grateful to the law enforcement professionals who worked tirelessly in the rescue efforts. The exploitation of children is an abhorrent crime, and we are committed to combating it. We work closely with law enforcement to support their investigations, including during this incident, and to prevent such heinous activity on our platform and help bring criminals to justice. While no single safety feature or policy can eliminate every potential threat online or in the world around us, we continuously adapt our strategies as criminals evolve their tactics. We’ve built safeguards, launched safety tutorials, partnered with experts, and continue to invest in features and tools that support the safety, privacy, and well-being of all Snapchatters.”

What parents can do right now to protect their kids

There are clear steps parents and grandparents can take today. These actions combine common sense conversations with practical tech controls.

1) Lock down chat features

Disable direct messaging and voice chat with strangers. Allow communication only with approved friends. This is one of the most important steps parents can take.

On Roblox:

• Open Roblox and log into your child’s account.
• Go to Settings and select Privacy.
• Set Who can chat with me to Friends or No one.
• Set Who can message me to Friends or No one.
• Turn off voice chat unless you are actively supervising.

Check these settings regularly. Platform updates can reset defaults.

EVEN THE FUTURE KING DISCOVERS SMARTPHONES ARE A ROYAL PAIN FOR KIDS AND PARENTS

On Snapchat:

• Open Snapchat and tap your child’s profile icon.
• Tap Settings, then Privacy Controls, then Privacy Controls.
• Set Contact Me to Friends.
• Set View My Story to Friends or Custom.
• Turn off Quick Add to reduce contact from strangers.

2) Turn on parental controls and activity reports

Built-in tools help parents spot changes without reading every message. They are designed to provide visibility and early warning signs.

On Roblox:

• Open Settings and select Parental Controls.
• Create a parent PIN so changes require approval.
• Set monthly spending limits.
• Review account activity and friend lists together.

On Snapchat:

• Enable Family Center from the parent’s Snapchat account.
• Add your child to see who they interact with most often.
• Watch for new friends added quickly or late at night.
• Look for sudden changes in usage patterns.

3) Set a no secrets rule

Make it clear that anyone asking for secrecy online is crossing a line. Kids should feel safe coming to you without fear of punishment.

4) Keep devices out of bedrooms

Shared family spaces reduce risk and increase visibility. Late-night and private screen time often create conditions in which grooming escalates. Law enforcement noted that devices had been removed earlier in the day in this case, a reminder that rules alone are not enough without ongoing conversation and awareness.

5) Talk openly about grooming

Explain that grooming is a slow manipulation that can take weeks or months. When kids understand how it works, they are more likely to recognize red flags.

6) Watch for platform switching

Be alert if conversations suddenly move from a game to another app like Snapchat. That shift is often intentional and deserves immediate attention.

High school students using their smart phones in a hallway (Authorities say conversations later moved to Snapchat, a private messaging app where disappearing messages make parental oversight more difficult.)

7) Trust instincts and act early

If something feels off, pause the account, block the contact and report the behavior. Acting early is always better than waiting.

Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?

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Kurt’s key takeaways

This case is a wake-up call. Gaming platforms are no longer just games. They are social spaces where real relationships can form, for better or worse. Parental controls help. Open conversations matter more. Staying involved gives kids the confidence to ask for help before a situation turns dangerous.

Is it time for platforms, not parents alone, to take more responsibility for keeping kids safe online? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

We had temporarily lost Prince William. Rushing through the narrow streets of the Old Town of Al Ula in Saudi Arabia, our guides eventually helped us catch up with him.

They had changed where he was due to arrive, after his lunch had run over. It was all fairly frantic, but for his aides, now tasked with getting him to his plane on time to head home, this was nothing like the other challenges they had faced.

This has felt like a week where the royal family have really seen what they are up against when it comes to the Andrew and Epstein scandal. The noise has been never-ending with shouts at both the prince and the King, and more documents being uncovered.

Follow latest updates on the Epstein files

There had been hopes that the Prince of Wales’ trip to Saudi Arabia, a significant diplomatic visit, might have been enough to shift some of the attention.

With all the pictures of William with kids and women, there could not have been more effort made to sell this as a trip all about the future, projecting a positive image of Saudi Arabia and the work of the British royal family.

The visit, of course, was always going to be a political tightrope for him, with questions over human rights here, despite significant social charges. But nothing could stop the runaway scandal of the Epstein files from being the bigger problem.

Read more: Tour of Saudi Arabia ends with nature reserve visit

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Prince William’s trip overshadowed by Epstein?

The demand to hear from the royals has been enormous. But the calls for them to tell us more risk overshadowing how huge it was to get those statements earlier in the week from both William and Kate and Buckingham Palace.

I have done this job long enough to know there must have been tense conversations before they got the final sign-off for release. They knew they would be blowing the story up again, but doing nothing was not an option.

For them, the problem is that people still want more. We expect to see our leaders on camera, to see them visibly taking control and being accountable.

There is no doubt that in recent years there has been a change in what the family are prepared to open up about on camera, remember for example the videos released about the King and Kate’s cancer, but it’s always on their own terms.

And from what we have had so far, I’m not sure on this one; they’re going to bow to public pressure to talk, despite some saying silence only exacerbates the huge reputational risks.

For 15 years, this has been hanging over them, first the Queen, now Andrew’s brother, the King, undoubtedly going so much further than their mother ever did. The “maximalist approach”, as they describe it, stripping him of his titles and Windsor home.

And this week, in written words, we have seen greater efforts to distance themselves from Andrew, partly, I suspect, out of a concern about what else may come, despite his constant denials of any wrongdoing.

Whether you agree or not, for now, they do not feel like they have more questions to answer. Yes, there are pictures and emails that strongly suggest Epstein spent time at palaces and royal properties. In the end, Andrew maintained that contact, not the wider family or the institution.

Olympic legend Lindsey Vonn revealed on Wednesday she underwent a third surgery on her broken leg following a crash at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.

Vonn called the operation “successful” in a post on her Instagram. She shared the update along with photos of herself in a hospital bed and a metal frame attached to her leg.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Lindsey Vonn of the United States in the finish area during women’s downhill training during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre on Feb. 6, 2026. (Leonhard Foeger/Reuters via Imagn Images)

“I had my 3rd surgery today and it was successful. Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago,” Vonn wrote in the post. “I’m making progress and while it is slow, I know I’ll be OK.

“Thankful for all of the incredible medical staff, friends, family, who have been by my side and the beautiful outpouring of love and support from people around the world. Also, huge congrats to my teammates and all of the Team USA athletes who are out there inspiring me and giving me something to cheer for.”

Superstar athletes, including Naomi Osaka and Shaun White, wished Vonn well as she begins her recovery and rehab process.

Vonn, 41, was already skiing with a torn ACL, but she needed to be airlifted off the mountain in a scary scene during the alpine skiing women’s downhill event on Sunday.

Lindsey Vonn of Team United States during the course inspection before the Downhill Training of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre on Feb. 6, 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Daniel Kopatsch/VOIGT/GettyImages)

AMERICAN OLYMPIAN CHLOE KIM EYES HISTORIC GOLD MEDAL DESPITE SHOULDER INJURY

Officials at an Italian hospital where Vonn was brought to quickly after the crash said she underwent surgery to “stabilize a fracture reported in her left leg.” Vonn had said she suffered a “complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly.”

Before the Games began, many wondered how Vonn would ski on her ruptured ACL, but she was determined to attempt to medal in her signature event. Her runs on Friday and Saturday went fine, but she lost control a few seconds into her Sunday run, and things got very serious afterward.

Vonn said earlier this week she had no regrets about her decision to race.

“While yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets. Standing in the starting gate yesterday was an incredible feeling that I will never forget,” she wrote in a separate Instagram post. “Knowing I stood there having a chance to win was a victory in and of itself. I also knew that racing was a risk. It always was and always will be an incredibly dangerous sport.

“And similar to ski racing, we take risks in life. We dream. We love. We jump. And sometimes we fall. Sometimes our hearts are broken. Sometimes we don’t achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is also the beauty of life; we can try.

United States’ Lindsey Vonn arrives at the finish area of an alpine ski women’s downhill training, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026.  (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

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“I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.”

Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

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Alex Murdaugh’s defense attorney argued on Wednesday that the South Carolina Supreme Court should overturn his guilty verdict in the June 2021 murders of his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul.

Dick Harpootlian, who is representing Murdaugh alongside attorney Jim Griffin, said that former court clerk Rebecca “Becky” Hill’s alleged jury tampering could show cause for the South Carolina Supreme Court to overturn the verdict.

“Before the defense put up their case, Miss Hill told the jurors the defense is about to do their side, they’re going to say things that will try to confuse you, don’t let them confuse you or convince you or throw you off,” Harpootlian said on Wednesday. Harpootlian also noted that jurors said Hills’ comments to “watch” Murdaugh’s actions and movements influenced their view of the defendant.

Furthermore, Harpootlian accused Hill of being “attracted by the siren call of celebrity,” noting that Barnwell County Clerk of Court Rhonda McElveen said Hill mentioned wanting to write a book and that a guilty verdict could help move more copies off shelves. Harpootlian alleged that Hill made the remark to McElveen, who was assisting with the Murdaugh trial, in December 2022, while jury selection for the case did not occur until January 2023.

MURDAUGH RETRIAL HOPES DIM AS EX-AG SAYS BECKY HILL’S GUILTY PLEA WON’T SWAY HIGH COURT

Alex Murdaugh and defense attorney Dick Harpootlian review evidence during his trial for murder at the Colleton County Courthouse on Jan. 31, 2023, in Walterboro, S.C. (Joshua Boucher/Pool/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Harpootlian had previously told Fox News Digital that the Murdaugh defense team was “cautiously optimistic” that the South Carolina Supreme Court could grant them a new trial.

While Creighton Waters, the lead prosecutor on the case, argued that Hill’s comments to the jury were innocuous, he agreed when South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice John Kittredge said the remarks could be seen as “improper.”

“The circumstances of this issue are not lost on us. In the courtroom, we have an excellent attorney general with a very professional and competent team of prosecutors, including you, Mr. Waters. On the defense side, we have an extremely competent, top-drawer representation. We’ve got a superb trial court judge. And out in the hallway, we have a rogue clerk of court. And even if we accept the truncated version of what you characterize as innocuous statements, even you acknowledge it was improper, perhaps not improper to the point of reversal, but you acknowledge it was improper,” Kittredge said.

Waters responded, “absolutely,” and later elaborated, saying, “I think what you just said highlights and proves my point. When you went through all of the players in this trial and the relative insignificance of Miss Becky.” 

“And as I said before, with all of that going on that some jurors really like, ‘Oh, well, you know, Miss Becky said watch his body language,’ that that is going to make the difference. What you just said of all that went on is why, not the truncated version. And I understand your point with that, but what the record reflects and what justice told, found is what really happened. That was the extent of it,” Waters said.

“I don’t mean to imply they were innocuous. What I mean to imply is that they were neutral on their face, not proper, but neutral on their face and not egregious,” Waters added.

Disbarred attorney Alex Murdaugh arrives in court in Beaufort, S.C., on Sept. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/James Pollard)

FOX NATION: FALL OF THE HOUSE OF MURDAUGH: FROM EGG TO Z

Hill pleaded guilty in Colleton County Circuit Court to four charges — obstruction of justice and perjury for showing a reporter photographs that were sealed court exhibits and then lying about it — as well as two counts of misconduct in office for taking bonuses and promoting through her public office a book she wrote about the trial.

Judge Heath Taylor sentenced Hill to a year of probation. He told Hill her sentence would have been much harsher had prosecutors found that she had tampered with the Murdaugh jury. Harpootlian said Hill’s guilty plea bolsters the defense’s argument that her credibility is irreparably damaged.

“She [pleaded] guilty to perjuring herself, to lying under oath during that hearing,” he said. “I think that goes a long way to showing in appellate court that whatever she said shouldn’t be believed.”

During the evidentiary hearing, multiple witnesses testified that Hill made comments to jurors about Murdaugh’s demeanor and testimony, including statements that defense attorneys argue crossed the line from administration into influence.

Alex Murdaugh sits in the Colleton County Courthouse with his legal team, including Dick Harpootlian, middle, and Jim Griffin, as his attorneys discuss motions in front of Judge Clifton Newman in a December 2022 hearing. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service)

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Hill has denied trying to sway jurors, but Judge Jean Toal ruled last year that the defense failed to prove the comments affected the verdict. Harpootlian said the defense disagrees with that standard.

“The United States Supreme Court and the Fourth Circuit have indicated we don’t have to show that it actually influenced somebody,” he said. “We just need to show that she said things that reasonably, objectively could have influenced a juror.”

In March 2023, Murdaugh was convicted of murdering his wife and youngest son at the family’s rural hunting estate in South Carolina’s Low Country. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.