CASHPOINTS in Swindon are to be made safer in the hope of reducing people's fear of crime.

As part of the new Swindon Street Safe scheme, safety zones will be marked out around town centre cashpoints.

The initiative, jointly organised by Swindon council and the police, aims to reduce cashpoint crime in the town and keep beggars away from the machines.

It is part of the scheme which hopes to banish beggars from Swindon town centre.

In a recent survey, 54 per cent of people said they would not use a cashpoint if there was a beggar nearby.

As a result, 1.5m boxes will be painted around the machines. The words "Cashpoint users only" will be written in yellow paint.

The safety zones are designed to give people drawing out money enough space to carry out their transactions, and make others keep their distance.

It is hoped that this will make people feel less threatened and uncomfortable at cash points.

Two banks - Abbey National in Regent Street and Nationwide in The Parade will be trying out the scheme within the next month.

Abbey National spokesman Matthew Martin said: "The safety area is great news for both Abbey customers and customers of other banks in Swindon.

"It gives customers their own space to enter their details in private and stops people crowding around customers who are using the machine. This makes customers using the machines feel safer and more secure."

The trial will last for three months and may be extended if successful.

Bernie Maguire, town centre manager, believes people seeing beggars loitering around cash points does nothing for the town's image. Representatives from Swindon Street Safe say they are working closely with all banks in the town centre and they are all aware of the scheme.

Customers will be asked for their comments and surveys will be conducted to gauge local opinion.

Nationwide believes their customers will welcome the new measures.

There has been a recent increase in cash point crime, including the use of Lebanese loop devices.

This is a device which the offender puts into the cash machine and it prevents the card being read.

The user is led to believe their card isn't working and the card is then kept by the device.

The offender then approaches the victim, telling them to re-insert their PIN while the offender watches.

When this fails and the card is not given back, the cardholder walks away, leaving the offender with the PIN and the card.

Emma-Kate Lidbury