The dates when Saltcoats and Kilbirnie will lose their branches of a major high-street bank have been announced, with workers jobs in limbo.

TSB announced plans to halve the number of branches in Scotland, with around 300 staff facing losing their livelihoods.

Kilbirnie's TSB branch will close on, February 24, 2021, Saltcoats will close on, March 30, 2021, and the Largs branch will close on, April 26, 2021.

North Ayrshire's MP has written to the bank's chief executive.

Patricia Gibson MP said: “I’m very concerned by TSB decision to close branches in Largs, Saltcoats and Kilbirnie.

“The stampede of banks out of North Ayrshire towns is shocking and perpetrating financial exclusion.”

Last year, TSB slashed the opening hours of the Saltcoats and Kilbirnie branches.

The latest closures leaves Kilbirnie with no banks in the village.

Ms Gibson said: “Following the decision by TSB last year to reduce opening hours of these branches, the decision to withdraw from three of our main towns completely is shocking.

“Both Kilbirnie and Saltcoats suffered RBS and Clydesdale Bank branch closures in recent years and now the TSB is also abandoning our towns.

“I continue to call for banking hubs in our towns since far too many North Ayrshire communities are left with no banking access in their towns.

“I will urgently raise these proposed closures with TSB Chief Executive Debbie Crosbie to see what can be done to reverse this decision and safeguard banking for our communities and will also broach it urgently at Westminster, given that powers over banking is reserved to the UK Government.”

Ms Gibson believes that the Irvine TSB branch is to be spared in this round of closures, while the bank states 94 per cent of its customers will remain within 20 minutes travel time of a branch.

But, Ms Gibson said, this demonstrates a lack of care for the elderly or infirm or those with no private transport.

The closure means a Kilbirnie customer will have to undertake a 25 mile round trip to Irvine to visit their "local" branch - a journey that takes 37 minutes each way by public transport, said Ms Gibson.

Cumnock, Girvan and Prestwick will also lose their local bank in the next year.

The Edinburgh-based bank has earmarked 73 branches for closure in Scotland next year following a ‘significant change in customer behaviour’.

TSB said branches have been selected to ensure 94 per cent of customers in Scotland are still within 20 minutes of one that will remain open.

Brian Sloan, Chief Executive of Age Scotland, said: “We’re appalled by this latest round of closures, which will undoubtedly hit older and vulnerable customers hardest.

“Those who rely on branches most tend to be older, disadvantaged, or on low incomes, and may not find it easy to travel to the next town to do their banking.

“The relentless push towards online or telephone banking may be convenient for many, but it doesn’t suit everyone. Almost half a million people over 60 don’t use the internet, with the highest numbers in the most deprived areas. By turning its back on them, TSB clearly seems to be putting its profits before its customers.”

Robin Bulloch, customer banking director at TSB, said: “These decisions are the most difficult we take, but we must always be guided by our customers - and we are clearly witnessing a substantial shift towards digital banking.

“We operate a more extensive branch network than most other banks in Scotland, including some much larger than TSB, and we need to reduce its size to reflect the changing needs of our customers and a fast-evolving operational environment.”