A PETITION has been launched in an effort to try and stop the Royal Bank of Scotland Renfrew branch from closing.

Gavin Newlands, Paisley and Renfrewshire North MP, was out in the town centre at the weekend asking people to back him in asking the Treasury and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to intervene in the proposed closure.

The branch is due to shut in June next year after bosses announced not enough people were using it for their banking, choosing to bank online or using their mobile phones.

Mr Newlands said he was further angered when RBS emailed him to thank him for visiting the branch recently and asked him to provide feedback on how they could better improve the service.

He said: “The Royal Bank of Scotland caused a lot of anger locally when they made the announcement they were going to close their popular Renfrew branch.”

He added: “The first thing the RBS could do to help improve the experience is by reversing this extremely disappointing decision to close this popular branch.

“I can’t fault the service I’ve always received when I visit this local branch.

“The staff at RBS Renfrew are well-known for the fantastic service they provide to local people, going above and beyond to help all local punters.

“I look forward to meeting with senior officials of the RBS in the coming weeks to find out why they’ve made this nonsensical decision to close the branch.”