Britain’s banks have been quietly moving millions of banknotes north of the border to cope with any surge in demand by Scots to withdraw cash in the event of a Yes vote in Thursday's independence referendum, it has emerged.

Sources told The Independent the moves have been taking place over the past week or so in order to make sure ATMs do not run out on Friday in the event of a panic reaction to a “yes” vote. There have been some suggestions that people will want to move their money to English banks in the event of an independence vote.

Bankers stressed there has been no sign yet of any increase in the amount of withdrawals from deposit accounts or ATMs, stressing that there was no need because the Bank of England has pledged to stand behind all accounts for at least 18 months in the event of a “yes” vote.

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However, concerns about how safe is their cash still linger. It was this that led to RBS and Lloyds last week to reassure customers that they would be moving their registration addresses south of the border.

As a result, part of the banks’ contingency plans has been to ship more cash to secure locations in Scotland in readiness to keep up with the potential increase in demand.

Sources at major banks said they had been issuing clear instructions to their Scottish branches to reassure customers there was no reason to panic.

Shape Created with Sketch. Scottish Independence: For and against Show all 24 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Scottish Independence: For and against 1/24 Vivienne Westwood YES: “I hate England. I like Scotland because somehow I think they are better than we are. They are more democratic.” Getty 2/24 Bob Geldof NO: "This argument needs to be had among us all, you can't selfishly resolve it amongst yourselves by taking an easy opt-out clause." Getty 3/24 Leonard Cohen UNDECIDED: “People are trying to make their lives significant,” he said. “[They] are engaged in a struggle for self-respect and significance.” Getty 4/24 James McAvoy UNDECIDED: “If you vote for continued unification or independence there is no protest vote – that’s it. And that could be it for decades, for centuries. There’s no going back from it." Getty 5/24 Bill Clinton NO: “Unity with maximum self-determination sends a powerful message to a world torn by identity conflicts that it is possible to respect our differences while living and working together. This is the great challenge of our time. The Scots can show us how to meet it.” Getty 6/24 George Galloway NO: “There will be havoc if you vote Yes in September. Havoc in Edinburgh and throughout the land and you will break the hearts of many others too… I know which side I’m on. I’m with JK Rowling. Just say No.” Getty 7/24 David Beckham NO: “We want to let you know how very much we value our relationship and friendship. Of course regardless of your decision that will never change, however, my sincere hope is that you will vote to renew our historic bond which has been such a success over the centuries and the envy of the entire world. What unites us is much greater than what divides us. Let's stay together.” Getty 8/24 David Bowie NO: "Scotland stay with us" Rex Features 9/24 Eddie Izzard NO: "You can be Scottish, you can be British and you can be European. We can have that. “I say have the parliament, have the more power, but be with us. Like David Bowie said, ‘Stay with us Scotland’ and I’m saying the same – don’t go." Getty 10/24 Frankie Boyle YES: "It’s an ‘aye’ (for Independence) from me, man." Association of Online Publishers 11/24 Andy Murray NO: "I started competing for Great Britain when I was 11. A lot of people forget that. I didn't like it when Salmond got the Scottish flag up at Wimbledon" GETTY IMAGES 12/24 The Proclaimers YES: 'Scotland has huge national resources, with its people, its wave power – all the possibilities that this country has...we need to take charge of our own affairs' Gary Calton 13/24 Susan Boyle NO: "I am a proud, patriotic Scot, passionate about my heritage and my country. But I am not a nationalist." Rex Features 14/24 Chris Hoy NO: "It will weaken the British team obviously if Scotland went separately, and it would be harder for the Scottish athletes, initially, to establish themselves in a new training environment, with new coaches, with a different environment altogether." 15/24 Alex Ferguson NO: "Eight-hundred-thousand Scots, like me, live and work in other parts of the United Kingdom. We don't live in a foreign country; we are just in another part of the family of the UK" Getty Images 16/24 Alan Cumming YES: "The evidence is clear - in the past 15 years we have become stronger economically, socially, culturally and globally. The world is waiting for us and I know Scotland is ready." Kalpesh Lathigra 17/24 Emma Thompson NO: "Why insist on building a new border between human beings in an ever-shrinking world where we are still struggling to live alongside each other?" Carlo Allegri, Reuters 18/24 Billy Bragg YES: Independence would "create a new settlement that puts people before profit. Those in England who believe that our own society needs to be rebalanced along similar lines should wake up and join the debate" Getty Images 19/24 Marcus Brigstocke NO: "If Scotland go their own way (based on fingers crossed, f**k the Tories, William Wallace bollocks it'll be a damn shame. Still wish 'em well" 20/24 Rod Stewart NO: "I'd hate to see the union broken after all these years. It's always been a spiritual home - but as I don't live there I shouldn't comment on independence. If it's good for the Scots I'm happy." PA 21/24 Sean Connery YES: "As a Scot and as someone with a lifelong love for both Scotland and the arts, I believe the opportunity of independence is too good to miss" Rex Features 22/24 Al Kennedy NO: "Salmond has the warm potato head of a man who is Scottish and – we hope – no threat" Rex Features 23/24 Annie Lennox YES: "There is an opportunity for something innovative and visionary. Scotland could have some kind of new, ethical, visionary stance and it could take on some fresh ideas. That could be amazing, really amazing." Getty Images 24/24 Morrissey YES: "They must cut ties with the United King-dumb. I love Scotland, and I love the Scottish spirit and they do not need Westminster in the least." Getty Images 1/24 Vivienne Westwood YES: “I hate England. I like Scotland because somehow I think they are better than we are. They are more democratic.” Getty 2/24 Bob Geldof NO: "This argument needs to be had among us all, you can't selfishly resolve it amongst yourselves by taking an easy opt-out clause." Getty 3/24 Leonard Cohen UNDECIDED: “People are trying to make their lives significant,” he said. “[They] are engaged in a struggle for self-respect and significance.” Getty 4/24 James McAvoy UNDECIDED: “If you vote for continued unification or independence there is no protest vote – that’s it. And that could be it for decades, for centuries. There’s no going back from it." Getty 5/24 Bill Clinton NO: “Unity with maximum self-determination sends a powerful message to a world torn by identity conflicts that it is possible to respect our differences while living and working together. This is the great challenge of our time. The Scots can show us how to meet it.” Getty 6/24 George Galloway NO: “There will be havoc if you vote Yes in September. Havoc in Edinburgh and throughout the land and you will break the hearts of many others too… I know which side I’m on. I’m with JK Rowling. Just say No.” Getty 7/24 David Beckham NO: “We want to let you know how very much we value our relationship and friendship. Of course regardless of your decision that will never change, however, my sincere hope is that you will vote to renew our historic bond which has been such a success over the centuries and the envy of the entire world. What unites us is much greater than what divides us. Let's stay together.” Getty 8/24 David Bowie NO: "Scotland stay with us" Rex Features 9/24 Eddie Izzard NO: "You can be Scottish, you can be British and you can be European. We can have that. “I say have the parliament, have the more power, but be with us. Like David Bowie said, ‘Stay with us Scotland’ and I’m saying the same – don’t go." Getty 10/24 Frankie Boyle YES: "It’s an ‘aye’ (for Independence) from me, man." Association of Online Publishers 11/24 Andy Murray NO: "I started competing for Great Britain when I was 11. A lot of people forget that. I didn't like it when Salmond got the Scottish flag up at Wimbledon" GETTY IMAGES 12/24 The Proclaimers YES: 'Scotland has huge national resources, with its people, its wave power – all the possibilities that this country has...we need to take charge of our own affairs' Gary Calton 13/24 Susan Boyle NO: "I am a proud, patriotic Scot, passionate about my heritage and my country. But I am not a nationalist." Rex Features 14/24 Chris Hoy NO: "It will weaken the British team obviously if Scotland went separately, and it would be harder for the Scottish athletes, initially, to establish themselves in a new training environment, with new coaches, with a different environment altogether." 15/24 Alex Ferguson NO: "Eight-hundred-thousand Scots, like me, live and work in other parts of the United Kingdom. We don't live in a foreign country; we are just in another part of the family of the UK" Getty Images 16/24 Alan Cumming YES: "The evidence is clear - in the past 15 years we have become stronger economically, socially, culturally and globally. The world is waiting for us and I know Scotland is ready." Kalpesh Lathigra 17/24 Emma Thompson NO: "Why insist on building a new border between human beings in an ever-shrinking world where we are still struggling to live alongside each other?" Carlo Allegri, Reuters 18/24 Billy Bragg YES: Independence would "create a new settlement that puts people before profit. Those in England who believe that our own society needs to be rebalanced along similar lines should wake up and join the debate" Getty Images 19/24 Marcus Brigstocke NO: "If Scotland go their own way (based on fingers crossed, f**k the Tories, William Wallace bollocks it'll be a damn shame. Still wish 'em well" 20/24 Rod Stewart NO: "I'd hate to see the union broken after all these years. It's always been a spiritual home - but as I don't live there I shouldn't comment on independence. If it's good for the Scots I'm happy." PA 21/24 Sean Connery YES: "As a Scot and as someone with a lifelong love for both Scotland and the arts, I believe the opportunity of independence is too good to miss" Rex Features 22/24 Al Kennedy NO: "Salmond has the warm potato head of a man who is Scottish and – we hope – no threat" Rex Features 23/24 Annie Lennox YES: "There is an opportunity for something innovative and visionary. Scotland could have some kind of new, ethical, visionary stance and it could take on some fresh ideas. That could be amazing, really amazing." Getty Images 24/24 Morrissey YES: "They must cut ties with the United King-dumb. I love Scotland, and I love the Scottish spirit and they do not need Westminster in the least." Getty Images

One said: “We have seen a big rise in customers coming in and asking us what would happen, but there is no sign of any significant flow of deposits from north to south.”

Banknotes are made at a Bank of England printer in Debden, Essex, and held in secure depots run by a group of major banks around the country. The money is moved around the country in secure vans under a little-known arrangement called the Notes Circulation Scheme, which informs the Bank if more notes need to be printed.

Figures from the Bank of England show the number of notes in circulation has been creeping up steadily over the last year. This month there are 62.3 billion notes in the country, compared with 59.8 billion a year ago.

A source at one bank said: “This forms part of our contingency planning. We are, of course, monitoring the situation very closely from hour to hour.”

The revelation comes as David Cameron made an impassioned plea to the people of Scotland to reject independence, telling them that the UK was not just "any old country" and that millions of people would be "utterly heartbroken" if it was broken up.

Meanwhile, a series of major figures in US politics and economics warned Scots against a Yes vote. Alan Greenspan, former US Federal Reserve chairman, said the economic consequences would be “surprisingly negative for Scotland, more so than the Nationalist party is in any way communicating”.

He said their forecasts were “so implausible they really should be dismissed out of hand” and declared there was no way the Bank of England would agree to remain the lender of last resort to an independent Scotland.

However, the Yes campaign received succour from a major German bank, days after Deutsche Bank voiced fears that a Yes vote would herald a 1930s-style depression. Its rival Commerzbank has said such speculation has been overdone.

The bank’s economists said “some of the worst-case scenarios painted in recent days appear exaggerated”, providing evidence that Scottish shares have actually outperformed those of the UK as a whole this year, rather than registered any major collapse.

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