TROON, Prestwick and Girvan’s RBS banking branches will be closing for good later this year.

It is claimed that the banks will close Wednesday, October 4 after the increase of customers relying more on technology and more convenient ways to bank.

According to RBS banking figures, since 2011, it seen the number of transactions in the Girvan branch decline by 17 per cent, Prestwick by 32 per cent and Troon by 34 per cent.

They say customers are actively choosing to bank in different ways, with 60 per cent of customers choosing to use our digital banking options in Troon, 62 percent in Prestwick and 52 per cent in Girvan.

The nearest RBS branch for those who live in Girvan and Prestwick is the Ayr Chief Office, which is 2.69 miles from Prestwick and 21.2 miles away from Girvan and the nearest branch to Troon is Irvine, which sits 4.82 miles away.

Speaking to the Ayr Advertiser, John Scott MSP, said: “The closure of these bank branches is a heavy blow to the communities in Troon and Prestwick and particularly to the many local people who won’t necessarily have access to internet banking. The run-down of local banking services has been of concern to me for some time and it is a matter I have raised in the Scottish Parliament on behalf of concerned local constituents.”

Jeane Freeman MSP, said: “Banking services in Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley are being removed at an alarming rate, and it is devastating news that RBS plan to shut their Cumnock, Mauchline and Girvan branches.

“RBS customers the length and breadth of this constituency now find that their nearest, accessible branch will be in either Ayr or Kilmarnock.

“This is a shocking disregard of its customers by a bank which has received huge amounts of public money to keep it afloat when its own reckless practices threatened not only its survival but the hard earned money and savings of its customers.

“And the removal of these banking services shows scant regard for local business and a rural economy on which RBS has made profit and now wants to walk away from.”

A spokesman for RBS said: “We are communicating with our customers affected by the closure and proactively contacting vulnerable and regular branch customers and we have listened closely to feedback from local communities and have extended the time between announcing our decision and the branch closure to six months.”

He added that a specialist taskforce of Digital Experts would support customers with training and support with digital skills.