There are calls for cash machines to offer a wider range of services to prevent communities from dying when their last bank closes.

The ATM Industry Association has said that without convenient access to cash “communities could die.”

Around 150 bank branch closures have taken place in Wales since April 2011, leaving dozens of Welsh communities without banks.

Shadow Communities Secretary, Mark Isherwood, said there was a need for banks across the country to be supporting the local communities in which they have a presence.

He said:

“Creative thinking is required especially given the trend towards bank closures in recent years.

“But it is essential for banks across the country to be supporting the local communities in which they have a presence.

“Technology has a role to play in ensuring that people are able to access vital services, but it is deeply disappointing that we find ourselves in a situation which could actually lead to the closure of even more branches.”

Older People’s Champion, Janet Finch-Saunders, said:

“Many people will find it hard to understand the need to permanently withdraw branches from so many villages across Wales – especially when High Street banks are turning over such huge profits.

“In many cases, the loss of branches has left older people with no way of doing even the most basic of banking tasks, and whilst online banking is an option for some – for others access to broadband can be a huge problem, as well a lack of basic internet skills.

“Improving the range of services at cash points could be one option, but there will need to be proper support offered to help people to use them properly and to ensure that constituents are confident when using them”.