Spanish banking giant Santander has said it will rename all of its major UK banks - Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley - in a move that will mark the end of three historic banking brands on Britain’s high street.

A total of 1,300 UK branches will have their names changed to Santander by the end of 2010. Customers of Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley will be able to make transactions in any of the new Santander branches.

Abbey, which was snapped up by Santander in 2004, and Bradford & Bingley’s savings business, which the Spanish bank took over in 2008, will be the first to be rebranded, between January and March next year. Alliance & Leicester will follow later in 2010, according to Santander, which is now the second biggest banking business in the world after HSBC.

Santander said that its branding overhaul reflects the one-brand policy that it operates in more than 40 countries.

“The switch provides a single customer view that is unique in UK banking,” said António Horta-Osório, chief executive of Santander’s UK businesses.

“It will allow Santander to offer the full range of its products across its enlarged UK network. More importantly, it will allow the UK business to leverage the expertise and product developments from Santander’s global business.”

Abbey’s credit cards are due to be rebranded in June. The bank has already taken on Santander’s flame logo.

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