To mark the occasion, the bank will host launch parties on Friday 24^th and Saturday 25^th November featuring dog shows, stilt-walkers, live music and face-painting.

The new branch – which will be led by store manager Debbie Valk and local director Melanie Sewell – is located at 2 St George's Street, Canterbury, CT1 2SR.

Craig Donaldson, CEO at Metro Bank, said: “At Metro Bank, we’re all about offering the best customer experience whenever and wherever the customer wants it; whether that’s in store, online, via an app or over the phone.

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“That’s why we’re thrilled to be expanding our presence in Kent with our new Canterbury store, giving more local people and businesses the choice to bank with us face to face.

“What’s more, our stores act as real hubs for the local community, with hundreds of networking and charity events hosted in them throughout the year, as well as our free financial education programme MoneyZone, which has taught money basics to more than 20,000 students already this year.

“We’ve got an incredible line-up planned for our grand opening celebrations and are very much looking forward to meeting everyone at the launch party and in the weeks and months ahead.”

The new store will provide safe deposit boxes and free coin-counting machines.