Shock as bar added then removed from 'NatWest hole'

Locals have been left stunned after a metal bar was added to a hole in a wall that famously became a town's most highly-rated attraction thanks to a flood of spoof reviews.

Since December 2018, glowing write-ups of the circular landmark outside a NatWest branch in Bath Street, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, have propelled it to the top of Tripadvisor's rankings for the town.

On Monday, photos posted on social media showing a bar screwed to the inside of the hole prompted hundreds of stunned comments from devotees.

But by Monday afternoon, the bar had been removed with a NatWest spokesperson telling the BBC the hole had been restored and "customer and community feedback is very important to us".

Maggie Taylor, from Ilkeston, described the addition of the bar as "awful" and said people in the town had been "up in arms" on social media.

"What did they do it in the first place for, because it's been like that for years," she said. "Just doesn't comprehend does it?"

Ken and Sue Elber, also from Ilkeston, agreed that a bar across the hole was "completely and utterly stupid".

"I'm relieved," said Ken, on seeing the bar being swiftly removed. "Children love that hole."

"We can all go back to normal now," added Faye Cross.

NatWest previously said the hole had been introduced during a mid-1990s refurbishment as a safety feature so people using the cash machine could see if anyone was lurking behind the wall.

The faux reviews on Tripadvisor saw users competing to describe the hole in increasingly grandiose terms.

One fan commented it was an "architectural marvel" and a "circular wonder".

"Nobody quite knows why it's there, but everyone agrees it's roundly magnificent," they said.

"Perfectly circular, majestically pointless, and beautifully brick-lined - it's a hole you can really bank on."

Another joked: "Can get very busy and you can queue for hours, but it's worth the wait."

The influx of reviews saw Tripadvisor temporarily block new posts about the hole but the ban has since been lifted.

NatWest has yet to elaborate on why the bar was briefly added to the hole.

Erewash MP Adam Thompson said there had been an "enormous reaction" from people in the town, explaining the "unique" hole had become an "important part of our local identity".

"Obviously, its status as a great tourist attraction began as a bit of a laugh but it's come to really mean something to people, it's part of what gives our town its character," he said.

"While I'm glad the bar through the middle of the hole has now been removed, a lot of people still have questions.

"I'll be writing to NatWest to ask why this happened, and I hope we can keep the hole alive - weird and wonderful as it is - well into the future."

In his letter to NatWest, seen by the BBC, he said: "The installation of a pole inside the NatWest Hole caused concern and speculation among Ilkeston residents.

"I would appreciate some clarification as to why the pole was installed in the first place and, if possible, the reason for its removal."

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