A meeting has been demanded with the bosses of the Royal Bank of Scotland following news that the Helensburgh branch will close later this year.

The NatWest group announced on April 17 that the Helensburgh branch is one of 18 RBS sites across Scotland which will shut by September.

They confirmed that 105 employees would be affected by the decision to close a fifth of the country's RBS branches.

The Colquhoun Square branch is set to close its doors for the final time on September 25.

READ NEXT: Royal Bank of Scotland confirms branch in Helensburgh will close later this year

However, MSP Jackie Baillie has written to banking bosses demanding a meeting to reconsider their decision which will leave Dumbarton with an RBS branch to serve people across the Helensburgh and Lomond.

Helensburgh Advertiser: Jackie Baillie has called for a meeting with banking bosses Jackie Baillie has called for a meeting with banking bosses (Image: Newsquest)

She said: “I am dismayed by Natwest’s decision to close Helensburgh’s long-standing branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

“I understand that more customers are switching to digital banking but not everyone is able to use these services and there are many members of our communities who, for a variety of reasons, still need in-branch services.

“I have written to the Royal Bank of Scotland seeking a meeting and demanding that they review this decision.

“It is not acceptable for banks sitting on large profits to continue to axe services customers need, especially in the case of RBS, which has benefitted significantly from public funds.”

READ MORE: Bank of Scotland branch in Kilcreggan to shut next year

The organisation added that redundancies would be on a voluntary basis and that there would be no further closures across its network until 2026.

RBS currently employs around 10,000 people in Scotland.

Helensburgh Advertiser: The closure was announced on April 17The closure was announced on April 17 (Image: PA)

The bank's spokesperson said: “Our customers are using digital banking more than ever before – over 80 per cent of our active current account holders now use our digital services and over 97 per cent of retail accounts with us are now opened online.

“While we are increasingly engaging our customers digitally, our branch network remains important to us.

"We commit to no further review of our Royal Bank of Scotland branch network until at least 2026.”

News of the bank's closure comes months after The Bank of Scotland announced last year plans to axe Kilcreggan's branch.

According to a 'closure review' report prepared by the company, the Shore Road branch will close on August 15.

It is expected that a community banker will visit the area to offer support and guidance to villagers.

Labour's councillor Fiona Howard added: "I am appalled by the latest move and find it hard to believe that the Helensburgh branch is not busy enough to stay open considering the size of the catchment area it is serving.

Helensburgh Advertiser: Councillor Fiona Howard urged people to write to the banking group Councillor Fiona Howard urged people to write to the banking group (Image: Argyll and Bute Council)

"I believe this is just one more step towards forcing us all to stop using cash with all the horrific implications of that.

"I will be writing to the bank's bosses but I would urge everyone else to do that same. It is time to fight back."