NEW research has found that an Oxford constituency is among the top five worse parts of the country for losing ATMs.

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran has spoken out on the need to protect free-to-use cash machines after her patch suffered a steep decline in the number of services available.

Across the constituency 13 cash points were lost between December 2017 and July 2018, according to figures from operator LINK.

ATMs in Kidlington and Botley centres and on the high street in Summertown are among those which have closed in recent years, partly due to bank branch closures and redevelopment plans.

While 59 free cash machines remain, the constituency is the fifth highest in the country for the number of ATMs lost.

Ms Moran said: “The industry has recently cut transfer fees in the ATM system between banks and the operators involved, which means many cash machines may become unsustainable making this problem even worse.

“If an area doesn’t have easy access to cash this can have a huge impact on surrounding small businesses.

"As more and more bank branches close, people are starting to worry that whole communities may be left without a cash machine at all and that is a real worry, especially for older or vulnerable people who don’t want to use online banking apps or contactless payments."