GOODWICK Post Office is at risk of losing its ATM as the Post Office has refused an appeal to keep cash machine on Main Street.

As reported in the Western Telegraph last December, Post Office Ltd had advised Goodwick's postmaster, John Moverley, that it planned to remove the ATM early this year.

Local residents were urged to use the machine as much as possible and the decision was appealed.

However, the Post Office has turned down the appeal, Mr Moverley said yesterday.

The number of 24 hour ATMs in the twin towns of Fishguard and Goodwick currently stands at three.

It was reduced from seven to four with the closures of Fishguard's three banks, Lloyds, Barclays and HSBC.

Due to building work at Fishguard's Co-op supermarket, which is scheduled to finish in May, the Co-op cash machine is not currently accessible.

If the cash machine outside Goodwick Post Office is removed it will leave just two ATMs serving the whole of Fishguard and Goodwick in the short term and three when the Co-op renovations are completed.

"This would be a disaster for our business and our community," said Mr Moverley.

Locals residents are being urged to complain to the post office about the removal of the ATM using the complaints form on the Post Office website; www.postoffice.co.uk/contact-us-complaint.

Residents are also asked to use the ATM as much as possible.

A spokesperson for the Post Office said that Post Office ATMs are currently owned and operated by the Bank of Ireland, who is exiting the UK market and that Post Office Limited is investing £16 million to safeguard 1,400 ATMs across the UK. Unfortunately Goodwick is not among them.

"After carefully considering customer usage, we have taken the decision not to replace the ATM at Goodwick Post Office," they said.

"We want to reassure customers who have used the ATM in the past they can continue to do a wide range of everyday banking activities, including cash withdrawals and deposits, at the counter. We understand that this decision has come as a disappointment, however, local residents are still able to consider the Request an ATM scheme introduced by LINK, for an alternative ATM to be installed at the branch.”