ATM machines will be turned off at night for another year in an attempt to dissuade robbers, according to the Dutch Banking Association.

The machines will be out of action from 11pm to 7am, with the exception of around 100 machines in heavily-used areas such as popular nightlife destinations. Here, the machines will be turned off from 2am to 7am.

The association said that it is working on a technical solution to spoil money in the event of a robbery, and said that closing machines at night has meant there were only four attempted break-ins in the past month.

It said that less than 2% of transactions with ATMs happen at night, but there were 71 break-ins in 2019 – often using explosives.

Dutch banks are currently researching which machines pose a risk to the safety of people living nearby, and intends to begin relocating these in April.