Fears over post office privacy

Worries about‘pathetic’shop counter

Concerns about privacy during financial transactions at a Halfway Post Office have been raised weeks after the last bank closed in Cambuslang.

The post office, situated within the Value Convenience Store, at 215 Hamilton Road, has been lambasted for being too close to the grocery store till.

And, with an expected increase in financial services as a result of the closure of Cambuslang banks, campaigners say it is more important than ever that the privacy issue is addressed.

Andy Dixon, a member of Halfway Community Council, says the sweets stand separating the post office counter from the general till area is a “pathetic” attempt at privacy.

He has written to Post Office Ltd asking that the previous ‘bank teller’ type counter be reinstated at the back of the store.

Mr Dixon said: “This arrangement offers absolutely no privacy to the customer undertaking sensitive transactions, with every word of the exchange between post office counter staff and their customers being easily overheard by everyone, whether they are standing in thepost office queue or the adjacent convenience store queue.

“It is surely not beyond the grasp of Post Office Ltd that the current arrangement for customers undertaking sensitive financial transactions at this location compromises not only their privacy but also their safety too.

“It only takes one desperate individual to be tempted by a sum of cash withdrawn by a vulnerable individual, such as a pensioner, for that individual to become a target of crime. Possibly violent crime.”

Mr Dixon added: “Given that many banking providers are leaving our community, this will force many more people to use post office counter facilities where they are available.”

Clydesdale Bank closed their doors for the final time last month, while TSB shut their outlet earlier this year, and the Royal Bank of Scotland the year before.

All three banks have encouraged their customers to use their local post office for ‘everyday’ financial services.

But a spokesman for Post Office Ltd said there was no problem at the store.

He said: “Although the local style format is a different way of providing a service, security and privacy are not compromised.

“All our branches have robust security procedures in place, and anyone handling Post Office transactions is fully trained on all operational and service issues, including customer privacy to ensure they meet Post Office Ltd standards.”

It only takes one individual to be tempted by a sum of cash