RBS has announced plans to close its branches in Cumnock and Mauchline.

Customers will now be forced to travel to Ayr or Kilmarnock for their nearest branch.

The bank says the decision comes as the banking world is changing rapidly, with people relying more and more on technology in all aspects of their life. 

Locals are demanding action from their MP to stop this from happening. 

Jeane Freeman said: “So, 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."

RBS  claim that shopping and booking a holiday online has become the norm for many; banking is no different and many of their customers are looking for and using more convenient ways to bank.
 
A spokesman for RBS said: "The way people choose to bank with us has changed radically over the last few years. 

"Since 2011 we have seen the number of transactions in the Mauchline branch decline by eight per cent and five per cent in Cumnock. 

"These customers are actively choosing to bank in different ways, with 53.8 per cent of customers choosing to use our digital banking options in Mauchline and 56.4 per cent in Cumnock."

More information on the closure will be available in next week's paper.