Customers on their own as bank quits

The Royal Bank of Scotland quit Prestwick, Troon and Girvan last week after generations in the towns.

The bank, which had to be saved by the taxpayer, wasted no time in obliterating evidence it was ever there. Troon closed on Tuesday, followed by the Prestwick branch on Wednesday.

There was no official fanfare by the bank, just a final lock of the door. And immediately workmen turned up to get the signs down.

We captured the moment for posterity the signs came down in Prestwick. The giant safes which used to hold the money in Troon, were craned onto a truck on Friday.

Astonishingly, it leaves just the Ayr branch in The Sandgate, their former chief office, as the ONLY office. It follows earlier shutdowns in Cumnock,, Maybole, Mauchline and Dalmellington.

John Scott MSP said: “It is indeed a sad day that my constituents in Troon and Prestwick have now lost their branches.

“I implored the RBS to change its mind and spoke in Parliament several times.”

Jeanne Freeman, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, has engaged cabinet secretary Keith Brown to highlight the “the abject failure of RBS to provide accessible mobile banking.”

Ms Freeman asked Mr Brown to join her in pressing RBS to meet their statutory duty under parts 3 and 4 of the Equality Act 2010. This Act requires organisations must take positive steps to ensure a disabled person can access the same services and premises, as far as possible, as someone who is not disabled.

She said: “I am delighted Mr Brown has taken the decision for the Scottish Government to press RBS to meet its statutory and moral obligations. It is unacceptable for the bank to close branches then fail to put genuinely accessible alternatives in place. Phone or online banking does not work for everyone.”