Banks play a key social role

Your story ‘Dismay as TSB says it will shut more branches’ appeared in the Evening News Business section on 9 May, but it could just as easily be featured as a human interest and community matter.

The bank, of course, has been owned by Spanish banking giant Sabadell Group since 2015.

Gone are the days when as a 5-year-old I was called forward by my teacher to deposit five shillings in my savings account, managed by the school. In that same ceremony we affirmed our allegiance to the temperance movement; that has well gone too - well in my case!

What many readers might not know, though, is TSB's membership of Safe Spaces; TSB were the first UK bank to become part of the Safe Spaces scheme.

Safe Spaces is a facility available across TSB's branch network, providing extra support to victims of domestic abuse and financial abuse.. Victims don't need to be a customer to seek help in any of their space branches.

Nationwide has also recently joined the scheme.

So Leith has recently lost branch banking facilities provided by Santander and RBS has announced similar plans in the last few weeks to be followed now by TSB.

I wholly appreciate these are commercial businesses who have to satisfy shareholders in the case of RBS, including us through the government's bailout of the bank. Pity that loyalty is not being reciprocated now.

Our Tory/Labour-run council surely cannot stand idly back, as our banks are often or should be at the centre of communities. I would love to see it being proactive, perhaps fending off closures at the pass.

Douglas McBean, Edinburgh