Zoo says bank issue is 'damaging its reputation'

Home to over 80 species, Northumberland Zoo fears the issue may be affecting its visitor numbers

A zoo has complained its name has wrongly appeared on a number of bank statements along with payments taken from the accounts of "some very angry customers".

Northumberland Zoo said it had been contacted by people who bank with NatWest who had never visited the attraction.

Curator Maxine Bradley said: "We believe most of the payments are actually going to Northumberland County Council but it is making us look bad."

The authority said it was the fault of the bank, which admitted there had been "an issue with a third-party supplier".

Ms Bradley said the zoo believed the problem began in June but it only became aware of it about a month ago.

"What seems to be happening is that people are going to Holy Island or to Alnmouth station and paying for parking but, instead of showing up that the money is going to Northumberland County Council, our name is appearing instead," she said.

Curator Maxine Bradley said the zoo is having to deal with lots of irate customers who think it is defrauding them

Ms Bradley said one payment with the zoo's name on it was for £243 but turned out to be a council tax bill.

"One man did visit us briefly, coincidentally, and believes we've taken £40 from him just because he drove into our car park," she said.

"This is really affecting our reputation and it's such a shame because this is not our fault and people seem to think we're part of some sort of fraud."

NatWest apologised to the zoo and customers.

"Some card payments customers made in the Northumberland area were incorrectly displaying on their accounts as transactions with Northumberland Zoo," a spokesperson said.

"We have resolved the issue and transactions will be corrected on customers accounts over the course of today and tomorrow."

The bank said it had "taken steps" to ensure the error could not be repeated and added the transactions were genuine and for the correct amount, but had the wrong name.

Snow leopards are among the species visitors can view at the zoo which has struggled financially, particularly during the Covid pandemic

The council said the fault was "definitely with the banks" and not the authority.

"Some members of the public are paying for council services and while we are receiving the money, the transaction is being listed on customer statements as coming from Northumberland Zoo," a spokesperson said.

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