York has lost one in 10 ATMs in three years, new research shows.

This mirrors a significant drop in cash machine numbers across the UK.

New analysis of LINK data – a network of cash machines – shows there were 149 ATMs open in York as of June.

This was a 10 per cent fall from 165 in June 2021, the earliest available local figures.

In York, 129 machines are free to use, while 20 charge a fee.

Professor Dianne Wilcocks, a committee member at York's Older People Assembly and the event convener for the international day of older people in York, said: "There's a generation that likes to handle money. It's a substantial generation that don't trust banking apps and transfers, they like the tried and tested way.

"Losing access to ATMs could be an issue, there are villages around York that could be vulnerable to that, what if some people have to start travelling into the city to get cash? It's another one of the challenges that face the elderly in York.

"It also challenges the confidence of older people to carry on doing things the way they do."

Some of the businesses in York that still rely heavily on cash transactions are those at Shambles Market. One trader, Steven Franks, owner of Steve's Shoes, said: "It's just a national trend isn't it, I probably see now 20 per cent of people use cash, when just five years ago it was 80 per cent cash.

"It's normally the older people that still want to deal with cash, my mother for instance, she's 88, she goes to a cash machine to draw out cash so she can spend it - she likes to know where she is with it.

Steven Franks, owner of Steve's Shoes (Image: Harry Booth)

"The first question I always get is 'do you take card' and you have to take card, or you'll lose a lot of business.

"It's just going in tandem with less cash being used. Not many people seem to want to pay in cash any more and use it."

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, added: "The decline in ATMs is concerning, although the new regulations recently introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority should protect access for the vast majority of people."

FCA rules introduced in September require banks to give more consideration to local communities before they close a branch, and firms must check whether more services are needed before an ATM is switched off.

"We hope that the Government will continue to monitor the situation and will be able to act if necessary," Ms Abrahams added.