Provisions totalled £341m ($567.28m) last year, from £82m in2012.

This means 5.2% of its marine loans are now impaired, comparedto 1.1% in the previous 12 months.

The shipping book has shrunk to £6.5bn from £7bn as it soldoff debt in Eagle Bulk.

RBS said: “Credit conditions remained difficult.”

And it added: “We expect a lag betweenthe economic recovery and our core franchises starting to grow, given continuedlow interest rates, excess liquidity and our continued de-leveraging incommercial real estate and shipping.

The