Jo Crowley MADRID/LONDON (Reuters) -Santander's plan to buy TSB for 2.65 billion pounds ($3.61 billion) and boost its position in the UK came together just a few weeks ago, after the Spanish bank had been weighing a possible exit from Britain,

TSB - originally known as Trustee Savings Bank - has served the nation’s banking needs for well over 200 years. The bank was founded in a village near Dumfries in 1810, but Dumfries is among the locations where the TSB branch is just a minute’s walk away from a Santander outlet.

The TSB brand could vanish from UK high streets after rival Santander agreed to buy the lender for £2.65 billion, amid fears the deal could lead to branch closures. The move coul