BOVEY Tracey was left bank-less on Wednesday last week after the mobile bank due to visit caught fire.

The town’s NatWest branch in Fore Street had closed two days earlier and the mobile service was all set to come into operation and visit for threequarters-of-an-hour on the Wednesday.

But residents waiting to use the on wheels visiting facility were left high and dry.

The turbo on the mobile bank vehicle caught fire while it was travelling through Ashburton and it could not continue its journey.

A spokesman for the bank apologised for the unfortunate situation, but said the mobile bank would be in Bovey Tracey this week.

It will be calling in the town every Wednesday between 12.15pm and 1pm.

A resident who did not want to be named said the Bovey Tracey NatWest branch formerly had a 24-hour banking cash point, at which envelopes were dispensed for people who banked 24 hours, but that was now closed and the hole sealed.

She added that there was a new cash point in Newton Abbot but it did not have the banking facility.

‘I went into the Newton Abbot branch to speak to the manager but it was closed for refurbishment,’ she stated.

NatWest has promised that it will keep the ATM at Bovey Tracey and has pointed out there are three other free to use ATMs within a mile of the branch.

Bovey Tracey is one of four branches in the area to be axed by NatWest. It closed St Marychurch last month, Kingsbridge last week and Ivybridge is scheduled to close its doors on Monday.