Police in England have issued top tips to spot fake five pound notes after rumours of counterfeit cash being floated into circulation.

Police and the Bank of England, which originally claimed the new polymer notes were harder to forge than their paper predecessors, are now investigating claims of forged fivers. 

It is believed that the notes were spotted in the Poole area and could be distributed across the country. 

While there have been no reports of any counterfeit notes spotted in Scotland, here's our handy guide on how to check if your £5 note is not a forgery. 

  • Check the see-through window and the portrait of the Queen
  • Check the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) is gold on the front of the note and silver on the back
  • Check the foil patch below the see-through window changes from 'Five' to 'Pounds' when the note is tilted
  • Check the coronation crown appears 3D (wiggle the note to see the effect)
  • Check the ultra-violet feature (a '5' will appear at the bottom left when UV light is shone on it)
  • Check the circular green foil patch on the back of the note which contains the word BLENHEIM - after Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill who appears on the note

If any one of these things look odd or the note feels unusual, call Police Scotland on 101.

Police England have advised people not take the note to their local bank or building society.