'You can't use contactless to buy ice cream or a pint' - the town centre without a free cash machine

  • Video report by ITV News correspondent Ben Chapman

"Why have they closed them all?" one Burslem resident asked.

It comes after three bank closures in the space of a year has left the people of Burslem, Staffordshire, without a free-to-use cashpoint in their town centre.

There is one pay-to-use cashpoint in the town, which charges 95p for people to withdraw their own money, much to their frustration. The nearest free-to-use ATM is half a mile away.

"We go to the theatre a lot, you can't use contactless to buy ice cream or a pint," one local told ITV News.

Shakahawan Mahmudi, who runs a cash only barbers, says he has lost business due to the lack of available of ATMs.

A recently closed bank in Burslem. Credit: ITV News

Gemma Jones told ITV News: "I have to go into Hanley, pay for parking. It's just time consuming when normally I just nip into Burslem, just quickly get some cash out."

Cashpoints disappeared at a rate of 488 per month between June and December 2018 across the country, more than half of those were free to use.

On average, ones which charge cost users £1.65 per withdrawal on average.

Older people are thought more likely to use cash, one explained she has an issue with the lack of available machines.

Mary Bufee from Link, says: "The demand for cash for consumers is in decline but we recognise access to cash is important, even though they are choosing to use more digital forms of payment."

Consumer groups say millions still rely on cash and are calling on a government regulator to protect access to it.