Cash warning after police find counterfeit notes

Police have urged the public to be vigilant after a rise of reports of counterfeit money in the Newark area.

Nottinghamshire Police said it had received three separate reports of fake bank notes being used to pay for takeaways and items purchased on social media, mainly in false £20 and £10 notes.

Features, the force said, that had been spotted in Newark included holograms stuck on the notes that could be peeled off, which was more noticeable in a "wad of notes" as the stickers made notes thicker than they should be.

Police also shared advice from the Bank of England as to what to look out for, in a warning posted on social media on Sunday.

Police released pictures of real and fake money, and said features also seen on notes in Newark were a bright white background, and blurred when studied closely, and that the holograms did not change when the notes were tilted.

The force said the Bank of England website provided "lots of information" on what to look out for, including:

• Holograms - the holograms on the bank notes should change when you tilt the note from side to side. Check the words change between the value of the note when tilted, for example "five", "ten", "twenty" or "fifty". If you have a £50 note, the image should change from "50" to "£"
• See-through window - look at the metallic image over the window. Check the foil is gold on the front of the £5 and £10, gold and blue on the £20, and gold and green on a £50. The foil should be silver on the bank of all notes
• Print quality - the printed lines and colours on the note should be sharp and clear, with no smudges or blurred edges. If you use a magnifying glass, you will see the value of the note written in small letters and numbers below the monarch's portrait on genuine notes

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