Bosses at the Bank of Scotland have denied claims they are no longer accepting new customers at their Helensburgh branch.

Residents raised concerns that staff at the Colquhoun Square branch were refusing requests from customers seeking to open new accounts.

The claims were made in the wake of the announcement last month that the Royal Bank of Scotland, on the opposite side of Colquhoun Square, is to close at the end of September.

The move by the NatWest Group, owners of RBS, will, if it goes ahead, leave the Bank of Scotland as the last remaining physical branch in the town.

One woman, who asked not to be named, told the Advertiser she had attempted to open a new account at the Bank of Scotland branch last week because of the struggle to travel to the nearest branch of her current bank, Santander.

But she said a staff member had politely told her the Bank of Scotland wasn't accepting any new customers in Helensburgh at this time, and was told to go to the bank's website for more information.

At the time she said: "It is disappointing to know that as a community we are wanting to support our town's last bank, but they are unwilling to let us switch.

"It is enough of a struggle for me to find time to venture to Glasgow to sort any of my banking needs. 

"I thought switching may have been the best option, not only to help me, but to make sure that there is enough of a need for the Bank of Scotland to stay."

READ MORE: Royal Bank of Scotland confirms branch in Helensburgh will close later this year

In posts on social media, other Helensburgh residents have claimed that they, too, were told by staff at the Bank of Scotland's local branch that they were not accepting applications to open new accounts.

The Bank of Scotland announced last year that its only other Helensburgh and Lomond branch, in Kilcreggan, would be one of 32 to shut its doors for good during 2024.

The Shore Road branch will close on August 15 this year.

It is expected that a community banker will visit the area to offer support and guidance to villagers.

READ NEXT: Outrage after plans revealed to shut Kilcreggan's only bank within the year

The Advertiser asked the Lloyds Banking Group, owners of the Bank of Scotland, why it wasn't accepting new customers and, if so, whether this meant it was planning to close its Helensburgh branch.

A spokesperson from the Bank of Scotland said: "We're sorry people were given the wrong information.

"Our colleagues in Helensburgh can help open an account, and we’ll be giving feedback to the branch to make sure our colleagues explain to customers all of the ways they can open accounts. 

"We have not made an announcement to close the Bank of Scotland Helensburgh branch.

"Whenever we do make the decision to close a branch, our colleagues and customers will be the first to know."

As of Tuesday evening, 509 people had signed an online petition protesting at the RBS closure plan, in addition to those who have signed a physical version of the petition, launched on April 27.

Argyll and Bute councillors have also unanimously backed a motion protesting at the closure plan.

The online version of the RBS petition can be viewed and signed at tinyurl.com/rbshelensburghpetition.

Assuming the RBS closure goes ahead in September, it will be the third Helensburgh bank branch to shut in little more than five years, following the loss of the Santander branch in West Princes Street in April 2019 and the TSB in nearby East Princes Street in 2021.