TAXPAYER-owned RBS has been criticised for breaching an earlier benchmark pledge to customers by closing "the last bank in town".

Labour politicians Michael Connarty MP, Graeme Morrice MP and Neil Findlay MSP criticised the move to close branches in Armadale, Fauldhouse and Harthill.

Mr Connarty said it left the towns with no walk-in facility for the bank.

The bank that was bailed out after the economic downturn and is now 81 per cent Government-owned said it closed branches as it had a 30 per cent drop in branch transactions and a 200 per cent rise in mobile transactions.

The bank said "many branches classed as the 'last bank in town' are only open for a few hours a week and only see one or two customers per hour".

But Mr Connarty said: "My advice for people is to switch to another bank.

"I switched my personal and office accounts from my previous bank when that bank closed branches in my constituency.

"It is the one clear way customers can show RBS that they will not be ignored."

A spokeswoman for RBS said the branches would close on Tuesday, November 4. She said: "We have taken the difficult decision to close these branches because the number of transactions taking place in them have fallen over the last few years."