A petition has been launched by local Labour politicians to save Tranent's last bank after the shock announcement it is to close in summer.

South Scotland MSP Martin Whitfield was joined by Douglas Alexander, Labour's candidate for East Lothian at the next General Election, alongside local councillors and members of the Tranent branch of the party to launch the campaign.

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) confirmed last week that it will shut its branch on Tranent High Street on July 27 this year.

READ MORE: Tranent: Royal Bank of Scotland confirms plan to close branch

The bank noted that there was an increase in people using both mobile and digital banking, which meant fewer customers were coming into the branch.

In Tranent, they said average customer transactions had reduced by 70 per cent between January 2019 and January last year.

Similarly, the number of customers using mobile apps had increased by 36 per cent between the same period.

The closure would result in the nearest Royal Bank of Scotland to the town being on Musselburgh’s Bridge Street.

The petition, which highlights the negative impact closing the branch would have and urges RBS to rethink the decision, was started on Tranent High Street with Mr Whitfield and Mr Alexander - and ward councillors Fiona Dugdale and Colin McGinn - collecting signatures from local people.

READ MORE: Prestonpans' Royal Bank of Scotland branch to shut this summer

Mr Whitfield has also written to RBS to express his disappointment with the announcement and request a meeting to discuss the proposed closure and the impact it will have on customers and the town.

He said: "We have already experienced several bank closures in Tranent and other communities across East Lothian over recent years.

"This latest proposed closure will be detrimental to local RBS personal and business customers as well as leaving Tranent without a single bank branch.

"Given the negative impact the decision will have on the town and local people, I’ve already written to RBS to urge them to rethink the decision and requested a meeting to discuss the announcement and possible alternatives.

"I’ll work with the local community to oppose the closure and make the case for retaining banking services and access to cash in Tranent."

Mr Alexander added: "This proposed closure is part of a wider pattern of banking services being withdrawn completely from towns and communities across the UK.

"Closing branches has various negative consequences for individual customers, especially the most disadvantaged, businesses, High Streets and local communities.

"The UK Government should be doing more to ensure that communities like Tranent, and Prestonpans before it, are not left without a single local bank branch.

"I want to see more proactive support for banking hub solutions to ensure decent banking services remain accessible to all communities."

The online petition can be viewed by visiting tinyurl.com/2p9u5pt3