CONTACTLESS payments still have a long way to go to usurp cash as the currency king, according to the woman who signs off the country’s notes.

Victoria Cleland says printed cash remains the most popular monetary form as people continue to prefer physical money in their pockets.

Ms Cleland, the Bank of England’s chief cashier, was speaking during a roadshow to promote the Bank’s new £5 note.

Made of polymer, a thin and flexible plastic, the currency is due to enter circulation later this year, with bosses saying it will be cleaner and more difficult to forge.

The note, carrying a picture of Sir Winston Churchill, includes a see-through window and two-tone Elizabeth Tower of gold and silver to thwart counterfeiters.

Speaking ahead of a photocall in an old Barclays’ branch at Beamish, Ms Cleland told The Northern Echo: “Cash is very much here to stay.

“The public want it and it’s important we supply the market with more money.

“A lot of people still use cash for things like buying products and savings, while some goes overseas and into bureau de changes.”

Ms Cleland visited Teesside University’s Darlington campus in 2013 as part of a public consultation on the currency changes, which gave people a chance to handle early examples of the money.

She said the reaction in the intervening period has been positive, adding she felt honoured her signature would appear on the first plastic £5 notes.

Ms Cleland added: “Polymer notes have been used a lot in other countries, such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand, and seem to be popular there.

“When we have shown people the new note, they have responded positively.

“This roadshow is an opportunity for people to see it and answer some of their questions, like ‘is it going to be like a credit card?’ and ‘can I fold it up?’ “The new notes will be better looking for longer, so you don’t get tatty fivers in your pocket.

“It is amazing to be given the privilege to sign all of the notes, but to sign the first plastic one is exciting.

“However, this has been a big team effort.”

The new £5 note will enter circulation on September 13, with each example expected to last nearly three times longer than their paper counterpart.

The current paper £5 notes will stop being legal tender in May next year.

A new plastic £10, featuring Jane Austen, is due to be in use by next summer, while a new £20, complete with JMW Turner, is expected to have entered circulation by 2020.

More than 20 countries, including Singapore and Mexico, already use plastic currency.

Canada introduced polymer notes in 2011, though The Bank of Canada was forced to deny rumours the currency was scented after people claimed it smelt like maple syrup.