RURAL Post Office’s are facing tough decisions to close cash machines, now one MP is campaigning to ensure all his constituents have access to free cash withdrawals.

Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham, is campaigning to make sure that free and easy access to cash is available to all his constituents.

The Post Office operates Post Office Money, a financial services brand and product, out of Post Office Branches.

It was announced earlier this year that more than 400 Post Offices will lose their cash points as the Bank of Ireland cuts its involvement with the Post Office.

Approximately one in five Post Offices will lose their cash machines.

In some communities, the Post Office cash points are the only location at which people can take out money or the only place people can take out money out of main post office hours.

Mr Holden recently visited Billy Row, where village shop has the only cash point in the village linked to the Post Office but it is now under threat of removal.

He also visited Moorside, Consett, where following the removal of the small Post Office last year a £2 – a – go cash machine is the only way local people can now withdraw money.

Mr Holden is lobbying LINK, the service provider between most of the UK’s cash machines, to provide a service at Billy Row and a new free to use cash machine in Moorside.

Mr Holden said: “Free cash machines are an incredibly important service, especially for the elderly and those on a budget. It is shocking that some of the communities in North West Durham face having either no cash point or a cash point at which they have to pay to access their own money – it’s simply absurd that anyone should be forced to pay a fee to get their own money.

“I will be campaigning to ensure that Billy Row gets a replacement cash machine and also to ensure that those in Moorside have access to a cash point that is free to use.

"It is crucial that communities, can have free access to their own cash.”

A Post Office spokesperson said: “Where an ATM is to be removed by our provider, Bank of Ireland, affected Postmasters are informed as many weeks as possible in advance.

"This it to enable them to start the process to source an alternative provider should they wish to do so, and to prepare for the removal works.

“We have a number of branches in the local area where customers can withdraw cash at the counter.

"These include Deneburn, open 6am to 10pm Monday to Sunday, Consett on Middle Street open Monday to Saturday and Delves Lane open Monday to Sunday.”