NORTH Yorkshire’s towns have been hit by relentless bank and cash point closures in the past couple of years.

The banks will tell us that people are using their banks less often and much of banking can be done online.

The problem is, we’re not yet living in a cashless society and until we are, banks should be obliged to ensure we can still access our own money.

Car parking, bus fares, buying from a local market, fetes, rural shows and community events; a lot of life – especially rural life - still requires cash.

Councillors and MPs in North Yorkshire are calling on the Government to get a better deal for the country’s rural residents. The county council’s scrutiny committee and the county’s MPs and Baroness McIntosh have all supported an appeal to the Business Secretary and Environmental Secretary outlining the impact on rural communities and small businesses.

It affects both older and younger generations.

It’s hard teaching children about finances and managing money if money becomes just an abstract concept of contactless transactions.

Letting them manage a bit of pocket money helps them understand the basics of saving and spending – even if you do forget as an adult.

The idea that their first experience of money is being sent out into the world with a bank card is enough to make any parent recoil in fear.

Many older generations living in rural areas affected by bank and cash point closures are already stymied by poor transport links, while many small businesses are dependent on cash.

Global banking corporations are restricting people’s access to their own money and having an adverse impact on rural life. It’s only right the Government should step in.