POLICE have arrested a man after seizing a large amount of suspected counterfeit bank notes.

Officers stopped the suspect in Parr on Thursday morning.

They discovered the haul of notes, which are believed to be fake.

The amount seized has yet to be disclosed, with officers simply saying at this stage that it is a “large quantity”.

A 28-year-old man was arrested in connection with the discovery.

Counterfeit money

Only a small fraction of bank notes are counterfeit, but it is essential that they are reported to the police. 

According to Action Fraud, nationally, in 2018 alone, around 461,000 counterfeit Bank of England banknotes with a face value of £10 million were taken out of circulation. 

Last year reports emerged of criminals using social media platforms such as Instagram to promote and sell counterfeit money.

It was reported sellers were offering counterfeit notes for as little as a tenth of their face value.

People are often unsure about where to report counterfeit currency and what to do if they recover or are passed forged notes.

Head of Action Fraud, Pauline Smith, said: “Criminals are using increasingly sophisticated networks and methods to make counterfeit notes and coins.

“If you have been passed or recover counterfeit currency, this should be reported to your local police force.

 “Police are responsible for investigating the matter and they will liaise with National Counterfeit Currency Unit (aka UKNCO) at the National Crime Agency (NCA).

“Action Fraud does not deal with counterfeit currency offences or reports.”

What to do if you receive counterfeit currency

If the notes have been passed and the suspect is not present, this should be reported via 101, by attending your local police station or online depending on the force area.

If the suspect is present at the location or still nearby, consideration should be given to contacting the police on 999. 

Counterfeit notes should be retained and provided to the police as evidence, ideally inside a plastic wallet or paper envelope to preserve potential fingerprints.

If there is CCTV footage of the suspect available, this should be downloaded and provided to the police together with the counterfeit notes or coins.