Outcry as village loses its cash machine after failed ram raid

But residents in North Cave have branded HSBC's response a feeble excuse and claimed the decision was further undermining rural services.

Villagers are now banking on a petition to get the cash machine re-introduced, and North Cave Parish Council has written twice to HSBC in an attempt to reverse the bank's decision.

The efforts have followed an attempted theft in June by a gang of masked crooks who used a forklift to smash through the wall of the former bank. The men fled abandoning the cash machine after being disturbed.

In a letter, HSBC's deployment manager Caroline Abrams said: "Having considered our position very carefully in this instance we feel that reinstating the machine could put both our customers and the building residents at further risk of a repeat attack and we will not therefore be replacing the ATM."

But resident Steve Skipsey, who is raising the petition, said: "We can't let a gang of armed raiders give HSBC the feeble excuse, as they've stated in their letters, of being a danger to the public.

"After the HSBC bank closed four years ago the residents relied on the ATM for taking money out without having to travel miles away for their cash supply.

"If HSBC don't change their mind it will be another vital service we have lost in or community, not just local residents but people from surrounding villages, who use the machine."

East Riding councillor Paul Robinson said the cash machine provided an essential service.

He said: "The opening hours of the Post Office are limited to office hours and the village shop closes at 8pm, therefore anyone wanting access to cash after office hours face charges, or later in the evening face a journey through to South Cave or Howden. As far as I'm concerned this is clearly not acceptable for local residents.

"I would ask if a risk assessment has been undertaken for all ATM machines operated by HSBC and how many have been removed because of the risk to customers and buildings."

He added: "This smacks of an excuse to remove a cash machine from a village and yet another example of rural communities facing cuts to services."

Haltemprice and Howden MP David Davis said he would write to the chairman of HSBC, and added: "HSBC needs to think again.

"I'm afraid this proposal not to replace the ATM strikes me as a ludicrous decision."

A spokesman for HSBC said the bank had made the decision for a number of reasons.

He added: "If an ATM has been targeted it's more likely to be targeted again, that's an industry perspective. It is the cost of putting the damage right and the usage is low.

"Because there are alternatives in close proximity all these factors have come to the difficult decision not to replace the ATM."

The raid, which took place shortly after 3.30am on June 21, involved three men wearing balaclavas who began ramming the wall of the HSBC bank with a crane.

Witnesses said that once the raiders had broken through the wall, they began wrapping straps around the heavy ATM machine to pull it free from the premises.

However, the offenders fled in a white low loader van and a blue BMW four-door saloon after abandoning attempts to take it with them.

It is thought the would-be thieves were disturbed by a car that had entered the village.

The cash machine was left on the pavement outside the bank.

Petitions are available at the post office, Curlaway Hairdressers and the Playing Fields Social Club.