Losses at Royal Bank of Scotland widened in 2016 to almost £7 billion, as the UK lender's ongoing legal and conduct pains dragged it to its ninth consecutive year in the red.

In a fourth-quarter and full-year results statement today, the bank, which remains majority owned by the UK government, reported an attributable loss of £6.9 billion, compared with a loss of £1.9 billion in 2015.