Free-to-use cash machines are vanishing at an “alarming” rate with more than 15,000 withdrawn in the past five years in an ongoing funding row, data shows. Since 2019, more than half have disappeared from Britain’s high streets, raising the threat of communities being stripped of access to cash. A further 37,000 free ATMs are thought to be at risk of closure or conversion to a pay-to-use model. Hayes and Harlington, in London, had 189 free cash points in October 2019, but by January this year the number had dropped to just 89, a fall of 53pc. Cheadle, in Greater Manchester, also saw a 53pc drop in the same timespan from 55 to just 26, whereas north Somerset lost 30 of its 57 free ATMs. Only nine places increased its number of ATMs in the five-year timespan, including south-east Wolverhampton, West Tyrone, Foyle, Rhondda, and Horsham. The places with the most ATMs are the City in London and Westminster, which have a combined number of 434. It comes as the banks continue their spree of closing branches, having shut 5,835 since 2015. Martin Quinn, of campaign group the Payments Choice Alliance, said: “The banks need to realise that by removing branches...