Branches of the Cumberland will increase their opening times from Monday.

Eighteen of the regional building society’s branches will now open for at least two days a week and from 9am.

During the lockdown, the branches had been open for one day a week with an opening time of 10am.

Branches in Cleator Moor, Egremont, Aspatria, Keswick, Maryport and Silloth are among those increasing their opening times.

Ambleside, Appleby, Dalston, Denton Street in Carlisle, Gretna, Haltwhistle, Langholm, Lockerbie, Longtown, Ulverston and Windermere will also open for at least two days a week.

The only exception is The Cumberland’s branch in Murray Road, Workington, as services are bring provided from the nearby Pow Street branch.

The Cumberland‘s full network of ATMs remains available as normal.

In March, the building society closed 14 of its branches in response to the coronavirus outbreak and moved temporarily centralised services to its regional hubs.

In April, 13 branches partially reopened to customers, mainly for one day a week with reduced opening hours.

As staff availability has continued to improve, a spokesman said it has been able to reopen its centres in towns across the county.

The building society recently announced that it had arranged more 2,600 mortgage holidays or reduced payments due to the Covid-19 crisis.

It said more than 1,000 businesses arranged payment breaks with it, and it had facilitated 1,650 personal mortgage holidays.