Landlords in the Burnham-On-Sea area have being advised to be vigilant following several reports of counterfeit £50 notes being used in the region.
Police say they have been contacted by four pubs in recent days after customers tried to pay for drinks with counterfeit notes, but we believe several more have been targeted.
“We wish to speak to two men, captured on CCTV, in connection with the incidents. They are both described as having Irish accents and were seen leaving one of the pubs in a grey/silver van,” said a spokesman.
Sergeant Ruth Gawler said: “This appears to be part of a crime series within South Gloucestershire with forged £50 notes being handed over to staff. Several establishments have accepted the notes, while others have refused them.”
“The notes appear to be genuine under ultraviolet light but we have seen several of them use the same serial number and other features of the note are faked.”
“We would ask all landlords to be wary across the force area – not just South Gloucestershire – and to contact us on 101 if they are offered any counterfeit notes.”
The Bank of England provides security advice for businesses and information about what to do if they have fallen victim to counterfeit notes.
If you suspect that you have a counterfeit banknote, please take it to your nearest police station.
