Be on guard for counterfeit notes

£50 notes
Fake £50 notes were found in a hotel

LICENSEES who regularly handle cash are being urged to be extra vigilant after a stash of counterfeit £50 notes was discovered in a hotel in Inverness.

The counterfeit cash was designed to look like Bank of England £50 notes and would have been worth a five-figure sum if it had been successfully used, according to Police Scotland.

While Police Scotland has yet to receive reports that the cash has been used, detective inspector Steven Mackenzie advised businesses to check all notes before completing a transaction; cash should be checked for texture, watermark, sharpness of print and size. Enquiries are said to be ongoing to establish the provenance of the fake notes.