Residents' anger as bank takes five weeks to fix cash machine '“ too late for town's biggest night of the year

Residents in Bawtry are angry that a major bank took five weeks to fix its cash machine '“ meaning it was down for the shops' biggest night of the year.
Richard McHale of Bawtry Residents Group, Mayor of Bawtry Alan Claypole, and Bawtry Residents Group chairnman Doug Cartwright, outside the closed bank in BawtryRichard McHale of Bawtry Residents Group, Mayor of Bawtry Alan Claypole, and Bawtry Residents Group chairnman Doug Cartwright, outside the closed bank in Bawtry
Richard McHale of Bawtry Residents Group, Mayor of Bawtry Alan Claypole, and Bawtry Residents Group chairnman Doug Cartwright, outside the closed bank in Bawtry

It was the latest blow for the town which is already without a full time post office since the counter which was set up in a shop closed earlier this year.

It has prompted residents to complain to the bank, which closed its branch in the town this year and sold the building, but agreed to leave a cash machine.

Richard McHale of Bawtry Residents Group, Mayor of Bawtry Alan Claypole, and Bawtry Residents Group chairnman Doug Cartwright, outside the closed bank in BawtryRichard McHale of Bawtry Residents Group, Mayor of Bawtry Alan Claypole, and Bawtry Residents Group chairnman Doug Cartwright, outside the closed bank in Bawtry
Richard McHale of Bawtry Residents Group, Mayor of Bawtry Alan Claypole, and Bawtry Residents Group chairnman Doug Cartwright, outside the closed bank in Bawtry
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Doug Cartwright, vice chairman of Bawtry Residents Group: 'The machine is now working after five weeks.

'But we are not happy that it took them five weeks to sort it out. We have had excuse after excuse.

'Bawtry held its annual Christmas fair event on November 25. It attracts 4,000 people into the town, and the bank assured us it would be ready for that '“ but it wasn't.

'It meant there was a queue 25 deep at the Sainsbury's cash point. It was ridiculous

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'It has not been good to the retailers,' added residents group chairman Richard McHale, 'A lot of people come to Bawtry on a Friday and Saturday thinking they are going to be able to get cash out.'

He said reasons for the delay had included issues over the electricity supply and missing parts

NatWest said they were are sorry that customers have been unable to use its ATM and were aware of some recent technical issues. They said they had now been resolved, and the ATM was now working.

The town has also been without a full time post office since May, after the post office that was at the Today's Local shop on Station Road closed.

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Bawtry library has hosted post office sessions two days a week as a stop-gap measure, opening on Mondays from 9am until 12.30pm and Thursdays from 12noon until 4pm.

The nearest alternative post office is in Harworth, says residents.