Four hospitality venues in and around Northampton all issue warnings over 'suspicious' fake notes being used
Several pubs and a cafe in and around Northampton have spoken out over ‘fake notes’ being used at their bars.
Three pubs and a cafe in and around Northampton have reported counterfeit cash being used in recent days, with one incident seeing a member of staff threatened with stabbing after challenging a customer.
The Wheatsheaf in Dallington said it had “such a cracking weekend” but that someone had been passing fake £20 notes, which “put a bit of a dampener on it.” The pub said: “Because of this we will now have to check every note that goes into the till with a UV checker, apologies to everyone. It could be that someone didn’t know they were passing fake notes, but pubs simply cannot afford to lose any revenue.”
The Squirrels in Duston also issued a warning after a man attempted to use a fake £50 note.
Staff said that when challenged, the man became verbally aggressive and threatened to stab a member of staff.
The pub urged others: “If someone tries to pay with a suspicious note, do not put yourself at risk, refuse the note and report it to the police immediately. Stay vigilant. Trust your instincts. Let’s look out for each other.”
The Fork and Flower in Long Buckby said a woman and her son had paid with fake Scottish £20 notes.
The cafe-bar added that the week before, two men had left without paying their tab. “We don’t usually check every note when guests pay, but sadly this has made us rethink things going forward,” they said.
The Trumpet in Wellingborough Road also said it had been targeted.
A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: “We’d encourage people to report any suspected offences of passing counterfeit notes and coins to the police, although it’s worth noting we then pass any surrendered notes to the National Crime Agency.
“If you believe you’ve been given a fake note/s, the advice is to forensically secure them, then call the police to collect or take them to a bank. If a suspect can be identified then preserve CCTV and share with the police.”