EAST Renfrewshire’s MP has slammed bank bosses over their reliance on the Post Office as a justification for branch closures in the area.

Banking giant TSB became the latest to leave customers in the lurch when they announced a reduction of hours at branches in Barrhead, Clarkston, and Thornliebank earlier this month.

This followed the closure of Santander’s branch in Clarkston last summer and the Royal Bank of Scotland’s decision to shut the doors on its Barrhead branch in 2016.

And in March of this year, customers were left stunned as Neilston’s Post Office - the village’s only banking service - unexpectedly shut.

Speaking at the Scottish Affairs Selection Committee in Westminster, Paul Masterton asked chiefs from TSB, RBS, the Bank of Scotland, and Clydesdale Bank what steps they were taking to ensure Post Offices remained open.

He later told the Barrhead News: “East Renfrewshire has been hit hard by Post Office closures, with many postmasters retiring or struggling to maintain their business. Banks seem to want the Post Office to do their jobs for them.

“The Post Office provides basic banking services at a loss, and it is not right that taxpayers are effectively subsiding the banks’ lack of branches.

“It is completely unacceptable for high street banks to rely on the Post Office network as justification for abandoning local communities.”