The closure of the Clydesdale Bank branch in Arbroath in August has forced Angus officials to come up with alternatives for depositing cash in the town

The closure of bank branches has left a council struggling to deposit thousands of pounds collected from the public.

Angus council says it now needs to select a new bank for its £40,000-a-year custom from payments made by residents in the area.

Faced with further withdrawal of high street banks from towns and villages, finance bosses say they fear “operational issues” will escalate in the future as the options for depositing cash reduce. There is growing anger over closures in rural areas, with Angus among the worst affected by the shutdown of 15 outlets in less than a decade.

Scotland has lost more than a third of its bank branches since 2015, according to consumer group Which?, reducing the number from 1,039 to 643.

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