Counterfeit notes

At least one Audlem retail business has experienced a problem with fake £20 notes and now has a notice on its door advising that notes will be scanned.

Only last month, Cheshire police warned shoppers and retailers to be vigilant after a surge in the use of fake money in Chester. There were more than 20 reported incidents where shoppers and businesses have spotted counterfeit money, mostly £20 notes, in the city centre.

Many other parts of the country have also seen a recent rise in the use of counterfeit notes. In South Wales, for example, fake £20 notes were being sold recently for £6 and then were being used in shops by the criminal 'shoppers'.

Essex has also been flooded with counterfeits with one pub in Southend finding it had taken over £300 in one night in fake notes. Another business in the area found it had taken over £1,000 of counterfeits in a short period.

The advice issued after the Chester incidents was: "All Bank of England notes have a number of security features, such as raised text, metallic thread, microtext and holograms, and while some fakes can be very close to the real thing none can replicate all of the features. Another indication that notes are counterfeit is ink staining. This is often used to mask imperfections in the print of the fakes and any stained notes should be treated with extreme caution.

"Anybody who thinks they may have received a fake note should check the security features against those listed on the Bank of England's website www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/security If they are still unsure they should take the note to a police station. You will be given a receipt for the note which will then be sent to the Bank of England for testing. If it is genuine you will be reimbursed in full."

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