This circular opening had famously ascended the local Tripadvisor rankings since 2018, becoming an unlikely top-rated tourist attraction due to a deluge of satirical, glowing reviews. The feature was originally created during a mid-1990s refurbishment to allow ATM users to see if anyone was lurking behind the wall.

Last week, images circulated on social media revealing that a metal bar had been screwed across the beloved landmark, prompting an immediate backlash. Locals expressed confusion and frustration, with resident Maggie Taylor describing the alteration as “awful” and noting the community was “up in arms”. Other residents branded the move “completely and utterly stupid”, lamenting the change to a feature that children and locals had enjoyed for years, BBC reports.

The bank responded swiftly to the public outcry. By Monday afternoon, the bar had been removed, and the hole restored to its original state. A NatWest spokesperson emphasised “customer and community feedback is very important to us”, though they did not immediately clarify the reasoning behind the brief installation. Residents expressed relief, with one local noting that the town could now “go back to normal”.

The site, described by fans as an “architectural marvel” and “roundly magnificent”, has become a quirky facet of local identity. Erewash MP Adam Thompson acknowledged the enormous reaction, stating that while the attraction started as a joke, it has come to represent the town’s unique character.

Mr Thompson said: “While I’m glad the bar through the middle of the hole has now been removed, a lot of people still have questions. I’ll be writing to NatWest to ask why this happened, and I hope we can keep the hole alive – weird and wonderful as it is – well into the future.”