There is less than one week to go until paper versions of £20 and £50 notes will be removed from circulation in Scotland.

The Committee of Scottish Bankers, on behalf of Royal Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank and Bank of Scotland, has urged members of the public to spend or exchange any of their remaining paper notes before September 30.

After that date, retailers may use their discretion to refuse paper notes.

Issuing banks will continue to accept all Scottish notes from their customers which can be deposited into their bank accounts.

Royal Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale and Bank of Scotland have also agreed that they will exchange their own paper £20 and £50 notes from non-customers up to the value of £250, provided that photographic I.D. is presented.

Other banks, building societies and The Post Office may continue to accept and exchange Scottish paper notes after September 30.

A spokesperson for the CSCB confirmed: “Thanks to the work that the issuing banks have already undertaken to swap the older paper notes with the more secure, environmentally friendly polymer notes, the majority of £20 and £50 notes have already been replaced with polymer.

“We have set a deadline for using paper £20 and £50 notes as September 30.

"The Scottish note issuing banks will continue to accept old paper-based notes and there are currently no plans to change this.”

The withdrawal of Scottish paper notes coincides with the date of The Bank of England's withdrawal of Bank of England £20 and £50 paper notes.

It is estimated that 90% of £20 and £50 notes currently circulating in Scotland are made of Polymer which is designed to last longer, remain in better condition and deliver more environmental benefits than its paper counterpart.