Cash machine cards may become a thing of the past following the launch of new hi-tech ATMs which let users withdraw money simply by pressing their finger on an infra-red reader that identifies them from the unique pattern of veins in their hand.

Poland has become the first country in Europe to introduce a network of "finger vein ID" cash machines, with 2,000 of the new ATMs opening in bank branches and supermarkets across the country this year, backed by a marketing campaign that promises "cash within your finger".

A person's finger effectively becomes the "chip" on a conventional bank card, as the infra-red device reads the unique vein pattern just below the skin surface of a finger or the back of a hand. But although the technology has become commonplace in Japan, where it was first developed, banks in Britain say it could be years before they appear on UK high streets. Read Patrick Collinson's complete article in The Guardian to learn more.