ONE of the two remaining TSB branches in East Lothian will close its doors for good later this year.

The branch on Haddington’s Court Street will shut on September 5, leaving Musselburgh as the only county town with a TSB.

More than 35 branches throughout the UK are set to close throughout September.

A spokesperson for the banking business said: “The way customers bank with us is changing.

“Over 95 per cent of transactions are now being made using mobile, online and other ways to bank, instead of in our branches.

“And more customers than ever are using our video and telephone banking service.

“We remain committed to face-to-face services across the country, and over 90 per cent of our customers are within a 20-minute drive to a branch, or location of a Money Confidence Expert.

“But we want our services to reflect the current and future needs of our customers and keep open branches that are used the most, so sometimes this means that we have to close some branches.”

Figures show that 84 per cent of personal customers using TSB in Haddington also used another branch or channel.

That figure rises to 91 per cent for business customers.

Meanwhile, just eight per cent of personal customers use the Haddington branch “regularly” and only one per cent of business customers do the same.

The majority of customers using the branch are aged over 65.

Katherine Crawford, Age Scotland’s chief executive, was concerned by the decision.

She said: “This is a disappointing move from TSB, and unfortunately is the latest in a continuous stream of banks abandoning high streets across Scotland in favour of a digital-by-default approach that does not consider the needs of all of their customers.

“Access to cash and in-person banking services are vital for many older people in Scotland.

“In fact, we know that 34 per cent of over 65s prefer to bank in person.

“We also know that 31 per cent of over 65s feel uncomfortable with the idea of online banking for a variety of reasons, including lack of trust in online services, lack of necessary IT skills and a fear of falling victim to fraud and scams.

“With branches disappearing at a rate of knots, an increasing number of communities are being left with either one local bank or facing the prospect of travelling further afield to do their banking.

“This is especially concerning for older people in rural and remote areas.

“We need greater growth in the network of banking hubs as an overreliance on the fragile Post Office network isn’t sustainable.

“Banks must take their responsibility to customers and communities seriously.”