Selby residents who pay their household bills by cash at the council’s customer contact offices will no longer be able to do so from June 1.

Selby District Council said residents who use the service in Selby or Tadcaster to pay bills such as council tax or rent will instead have to pay by cash at their local Post Office or at a Payzone facility.

The council said the changes would save it thousands of pounds each year.

A spokesman said: “Data shows that few residents make cash payments at these offices, but to offer the service costs the council money because of the security needed to keep cash on site and transfer it to a bank. “It is estimated that the change to stop taking cash payments will save approximately £12,000 per year.”

Council leader Mark Crane said: “One way in which we can achieve long-term savings, without having a detrimental impact on how people access their local services, is to stop taking cash payments. “It’s important to note that there are a number of alternatives for making cash payments in your local community, so no-one will lose out, and people will actually be able to better support their local shops and Post Offices.”