Retail NI meets with PSNI to discuss ATM robberies

Retail group also highlights that due to the NI Assembly not being operational, many rural retailers are set to lose rate relief on their ATMs this week

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With over a dozen ATM robberies and attacks on Retail NI members since Christmas, a Retail NI delegation met with senior Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers today to discuss this major issue.

Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts outlined how the robberies had affected independent retailers who provide a valuable community service.

“We would urge all businesses who have ATMs to be vigilant and ask members of the public with any information on the recent robberies to contact the PSNI,” Roberts said.

“There is now a perfect storm of problems around rural ATMs,” he continued. “In addition to the robberies, because the Assembly is down, many of our rural members will this week lose rate relief on their ATMs. This will cost tens of thousands on top of their already expensive rate bills.

“With so many bank branch closures, our members provide an invaluable service to many communities to access cash with their ATMs. Unless we see a crackdown on the robberies and a restoration of the ATM Rate Relief, many rural areas of Northern Ireland could see dozens more ATMs closing.

“This will put further pressure on people on benefits and pensioners who use cash to budget and rely on ATMS to access cash in many rural areas will be severely limited.”

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