Bank closes ATM hall because of homeless

THERE'S no room at the bank for four homeless Spanish ex-pats.Lloyd's became the latest bank to say no to the quartet after they began using the lobby as an impromptu hotel.

THERE'S no room at the bank for four homeless Spanish ex-pats.

Lloyd's became the latest bank to say no to the quartet after they began using the lobby as an impromptu hotel.

A spokesman for the bank said that it was closing the cashpoint hall during evenings and over weekends because of the intrusion.

The four friends had earlier been evicted from Natwest as part of their unplanned tour of Ipswich town centre's banks.

Alex Velazquez, Nacho Fernandez, Simon Lopez and Javier Marin made the trip to Suffolk for a short-term job set up in their native Spain.

They paid an employment agency 300Euros – about £200 – each to secure the jobs, but were left penniless when the contracts expired.

Mr Velazquez, 27, said: "We would like to stay. We would like to see some of England and stay in London.

"We would like to work in London, but we don't have any money to get there, so we stay here and sleep where we can."

All four have been searching for work in the restaurant business, but without success.

After a short spell in a hotel in Foxhall Road, they sought out the community rescue centre where they were given some hot food, a shower and a decent sleeping bag.

But they will no longer be able to set up camp in the Lloyd's lobby. A spokesman for the bank confirmed steps would be taken to stop it being used as a sleeping place.

He said: "We are aware of the problem and in future we will be closing the atrium at evenings and weekends.

"There are five other cashpoints nearby, so we hope the inconvenience to our customers will be minimal."