Network glitch' leaves NatWest and RBS customers stranded as they are frozen out of 62,000 cash machines

• NatWest and RBS customers left unable to withdraw cash from ATMs
• Issue started at 10.40am but banking group says it should now be fixed
• Glitch meant customers could only withdraw from NatWest or RBS ATMs

NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland customers have taken to Twitter to vent their frustration after being left unable to withdraw cash from ATMs today. 

Users bombarded the online help service with questions after being given a message reading 'service unavailable' at cash points. 

A spokesman for the RBS Group, which owns NatWest, RBS and Ulster Bank, says the issue started at around 10.40am and lasted for three hours, but should now be fixed.

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NatWest and RBS customers have reported being unable to withdraw cash from ATMs this afternoon, although the banks say cards should work in their own machines

The spokesman said: 'Between around 10.40am and 13.15pm today, some of our customers were unable to use other banks' ATMs. This has now been resolved. 

'Throughout this time customers were able to use RBS, NatWest and Ulster bank ATMs. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.'

The issue affected the Link network which connects around 65,000 cash machines in the UK.

Around 3,000 of those are likely to have been NatWest machines, meaning customers were locked out of around 62,000 ATMs. 

Twitter user Lyndsey White messaged NatWest saying: 'I'm in hospital with my son who really sick and I can't even use my card, thanks a lot I will definitely be changing banks.'

Adam Redman added: '"Natwest customers can't withdraw cash from cash machines." How many times is this going to happen! Need to change my bank.' 

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The new problem is just the latest in a series of IT meltdowns for the RBS Group, stretching back to 2012 when customers were left unable to use their accounts for three days

The latest meltdown echoes the infamous 'cyber Monday' crash in December last year, when customers were unable to use their cards on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Another technical fault hit the RBS Group, which owns RBS, NatWest and Ulster Bank, in 2012 meaning payments were not registered for three days.

The then-boss of the group, Stephen Hester, said a failed software update was to blame for the glitch which left people unable to pay bills.