Police today warned of fake £20 notes being used in Oxford.

The Old Mans Premier shop, in Courtland Road, Rose Hill, unwittingly accepted fake notes on February 6, 21 and 24. In each transaction, a forged £20 note was passed to the shopkeeper.

In the most recent incident, the customer was identified and spoken to by police. He alleged he was approached by a man on the Cowley Road who asked him to swap a £20 note for two £10 notes.

PC Matt Goodchild gave this advice: “Please check your change carefully before you leave a shop. Fake currency is currently in circulation and we want to track down where it has come from.

“If you receive fake notes from a cash machine, you should be able to change it in the bank. It is an offence if you try to use the note knowing it to be counterfeit. If you have a fake note, hand it in to your local police station.

“We are circulating a YouTube video showing how to spot a fake £20 note. Please send it on to you family, friends and co-workers to make sure they don’t fall foul of a fake.”