TSB to launch pop-up in Hawick

However, it will be a bank like no other, in that it won’t handle money.

Instead, it will help with financial advice, staffed by what the bank calls a mobile money confidence expert. It will also help people report lost or stolen cards, and sign up for mobile banking.

But for everyday transactions such as cash withdrawals, deposits and cheque payments, Teries will need to head to the last branch left in the Borders, based in Galashiels.

Hawick councillor Stuart Marshall said: “When the doors finally close on this bank it brings to an end 134 years of this building providing banking and financial services to our community and it saddens me greatly to think that customers are now being reduced to being provided with a pop-up banking service.

“Of course a much-watered-down service is better than nothing, but with the prospect of no cash transactions being processed on location, then it really is a scaled down service that is being offered to their loyal customers and one can’t help but feel angry that loyalty obviously counts for nothing.

“The staff at this bank who are being impacted by this closure have been magnificent throughout and will indeed be a huge miss to our town and beyond.”

The move has been welcomed by the national charity for older people, Age Scotland.

Its chief executive Brian Sloan said: “To give credit where it’s due, while the closure of almost half of Scottish TSB branches is a considerable blow to customers and communities, we appreciate that the bank recognises the value of their in-person services and are taking these necessary steps to support those who rely on them.

“We know that a huge number of older people prefer to speak to real people when it comes to managing their money and it’s important to ensure not only those online have easy access to their finances.

“By offering these initiatives first in locations where it takes customers longer than 20 minutes to travel to their nearest branch, TSB will be doing a better job of protecting the needs and interests of older customers in Hawick and making it easier for them to manage their money.”