THE Greenock town centre Virgin Money branch has avoided the axe.

The bank has announced it is to shut 39 of its UK branches, but the West Blackhall Street one is safe.

Bosses say they are making cuts because they fewer people use bricks and mortar branches and are moving to online banking.

Virgin Money said the closures amount to a third of its banks.

Over 250 workers will be at risk of redundancy.

The banks that will close are: Belfast, Croydon, Harrow, Newton Stewart, Bournemouth, Derby, Hexham, Norwich, Brighton, Durham, Irvine, Oxford, Bristol, Ellon, Kendal, Reading, Bromley, Enfield, Kensington, Southampton, Cambridge, Exeter, Kingston, St Albans, Cardiff, Fort William, Liverpool, Swindon, Chelmsford, Golders Green, Lochgilphead, Turriff, Cheltenham, Gosforth Centre, London Haymarket, Wolverhampton, Chester, Guildford and Milton Keynes.