Relief as ATM 'spews out' receipts instead of cash

A sub-postmaster said he was relieved to find his faulty cash machine was "spewing out" blank receipts and not "cold hard cash".

John Campbell Woods, who runs the Higher Buxton Post Office in Buxton, Derbyshire, was preparing for work on Friday morning when he discovered a flurry of receipts on the pavement outside.

The cash machine had been repaired and was awaiting a new part, and "had been behaving" before its paper malfunction, Woods added.

"Fortunately it wasn't giving out the cold hard cash," the 67-year-old said.

Woods added: "I didn't like the fact that we could have been littering this lovely town of ours."

Philip Barton, a customer who lives nearby, said he was on his was home from the Buxton Musical Society with friends when they came across the leaky cash machine.

"We went past the post office and saw it sort of spewing out these blank receipts.

"I've never seen anything like it," he said.

Barton said he "couldn't resist" capturing the moment on his phone, which was shared on Facebook by his wife, prompting a number of responses.

"What a pity the ATM outside Higher Buxton Post Office has been continuously spewing out blank receipts rather than £20 notes," the post read.

Woods said the cash machine was now working and would have a replacement part fitted soon.

A Post Office spokesperson added: "We are aware of an issue with the ATM at Higher Buxton Post Office, which means it has been printing blank receipts.

"We are looking at it urgently and the receipt function has been temporarily turned off. Customers are still able to withdraw cash at this ATM."

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