That's a wet deposit! Locals stunned after pranksters install cash machine on side of bridge in Sonning

Locals were left stunned to find a cash machine installed on the side of a bridge in an apparent prank.

The machine, fixed on the side of Sonning Bridge in Sonning-on-Thames, Berkshire was created by artist Impro in a protest against the widespread closure of high street bank branches.

The installation is adorned with a logo bearing the name 'Impro Solutions' and is installed between two of the bridge's brick archways, just inches from the water.

Impro, who lives in Oxfordshire, has previously installed a red post box set into the bricks in the same location.

His other stunts have included a drunk Santa and a large Google Maps pin on a roundabout.

Referring to his latest prank, he said: 'Banks have reacted to complaints about branch closures and accessibility by opening cashpoints on river bridges for boaters within minutes of Keir Starmer walking into No 10.'

Over 6,000 bank branches have been shuttered in the last nine years, around 60 per cent of the UK's total network, leaving some communities with little or no facilities at all.

A recent surge in closures by major banks has been attributed to many customers' switch to online banking.

But experts warn that while many are going digital, a significant number of people are not ready for the jump.

Initiatives to ease the impact of shuttered branches include new banking hubs, which allow banks to share facilities via a common counter at post offices.

Around fifty hubs have opened so far nationwide which are capable of handling simple transactions.

However customers are still required to go to proper branches for some services, such as registering power of attorney.