Shop owners urged to be vigilant following spate of counterfeit note incidents

By Staff Reporter - 17 May 2018

Crime

By Harrison Burridge

Wiltshire Police are currently investigating a number of incidents in which counterfeit notes have been used in shops across the county.

Incidents have been reported at various shops and businesses, including the Sue Ryder charity shop in Royal Wootton Bassett High Street,  BP Service Station in Swindon Road, Royal Wootton Bassett and Nurdens Garden Centre in Crudwell Road, Malmesbury.

Sergeant Louis McCoy, of the Wiltshire North Community Policing Team, said: “Predominantly, the offenders are young men, aged between 19 and 25 and our enquiries are ongoing to try and identify those responsible.

“On all occasions, large denomination notes are used to buy low value items. The notes are of good quality with some even passing the pen test carried out by shop workers, only to then be rejected by the banks further down the process.

“We are following several lines of enquiry in order to identify those involved and our local Community Policing Team officers have been out engaging with local shops and businesses to help reduce their risk of falling victim to this type of crime.  We continue to encourage shop owners to be extra vigilant and to report any incidents to police on 101, or 999 if a crime is in progress.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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