Heather Kidd, Lib Dem Councillor for Chirbury and Worthen, has launched a petition in support of a campaign to stop banks abolishing cheque books.
Heather said “Small businesses are the backbone of the economy of rural Shropshire. In my village I pay the garage, coal man, hairdresser and milkman by cheque or cash which is all they accept. They are simply too small to absorb the costs of buying credit card machines and all the ongoing costs that they entail.
“Now a number of banks are proposing to scrap cheque books. If this became universal it would be a disaster for our small businesses.”
“Fortunately there is a bill before Parliament by Yorkshire MP, David Ward, which would place a duty on the Financial Services Authority to ensure that banks keep cheques in use till suitably inexpensive alternatives are developed.”
Heather is running a petition on her website (www.heatherkidd.org) or alternatively: “I am urging all small businesses and other interested parties to write to their MP urging them to support Mr Ward’s bill.”