Bank customers are being short-changed

Another appearance in front of politicians by RBS boss Ross McEwan will have done nothing to assuage the fears of those about to lose their local bank branch.

His assertion that he is comfortable with the state of the new network and its ancillary services is alarming.

The argument that customers could turn to internet banking was a flimsy one when first made. Recent experiences have shown it to be a fallacy.

Broadband services, especially in the rural areas worst affected by branch closures, are not yet of a sufficient standard to be entirely reliable.

The example of TSB and its ill-fated server change shows supposedly state-of-the-art technology cannot be deemed a direct replacement for a human touch.

Customers were denied access to their normal banking facilities for days, causing misery. There is no reason a similar fate could not befall other banks, including RBS.

Equally, the increased use of mobile banking and Post Office counters is flawed.

The former is subject to timetable changes at the bank’s whim and the latter are closing at an alarming rate, especially across Perth and Kinross.

Normal business practice is to cut adrift loss-making elements to strengthen others. RBS is not a normal business and must be mindful of the historical debt it owes the public it is now short-changing.