Yellow boxes have been painted around a handful of cashpoints in Manchester to give users more privacy, and cut robberies.

Greater Manchester Police said the scheme, supported by three banks, was the first of its kind in the UK.

The Safe Spaces will display the words "Cash Machine Area" to encourage people not using the machine to stand outside the box.

Too close

The four machines involved in the pilot scheme are in the Rusholme and Fallowfield areas of the city.

Judith Sadler, a crime reduction advisor for GMP, said the boxes would stop people stand too close behind the person using the machine, and seeing their Pin number, or the amount of cash they withdraw.

She added: "As far as we are aware it is the first in the country and will help us reduce cash machine robberies.

"If these boxes prove to be successful, we hope to introduce the idea to all cash machines in south Manchester, making the street and communities safe."

The scheme is backed by the Barclays, NatWest and HSBC banks.