Police in Northern Ireland have urged retailers to help in the clampdown on counterfeit money.

Fraudsters are passing off fake sterling and euro notes in stores across the province.

Police figures released on Thursday revealed that currency with a face value of more than �600,000 has been recovered this year.

Chief Inspector Mark Mason: "Counterfeiters want to dupe everyone"

Detectives advised shopkeepers in border areas to watch out for fake euro notes.

The situation in Northern Ireland is more difficult because four banks issue their own sterling tender in addition to Bank of England notes.

Chief Inspector Mark Mason said: "The counterfeiters want to dupe everyone and their products are now of a quality that a cursory check of a note is not sufficient."

The police have urged business owners to train staff in a bid to detect the fake notes.

Crime branch

They said about �14,000 of counterfeit money was recovered in 1995 in 428 investigations.

Last year, that figure increased to almost 2,000 incidents and police fear there will be an upsurge in incidents over Christmas.

"We are not trying to be Christmas killjoys, but we want to make it as difficult as possible for the crooks to pass their fakes," said Ch Insp Mason.

Detective Constable Geoff Allen of the PSNI's crime branch said some of the forged currency was quite sophisticated.

"But one thing is for sure - if it is difficult for the counterfeiters to pass the notes, then they are going to go to the easiest place to pass them.

"We can reduce this problem by checking our notes more thoroughly."