POLICE have issued a warning about crudely produced counterfeit cash being used in the region.

North Yorkshire Police has had several reports of the fake £20 notes being used in the last few weeks to pay for a range of items including secondhand goods and takeaways.

Most reports have been from the York area but officers believe the currency maybe used elsewhere in the county too.

The currency is very crudely created, the notes tend to be opaque and much thicker material than authentic notes.

Many of the notes have also been printed ‘Poonds’ instead of ‘Pounds’ and some even feature the small print: ‘This money is play money for video movie use only’.

The fake notes have been used to pay for second hand items bought through online sites such as Facebook Marketplace and Ebay, as well as for food items and takeaways.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "We’re urging the public to be extremely careful when accepting cash payments and to check that notes are genuine."

The Bank of England has issued advice around checking for genuine notes.

This includes tilting a £20 note from side to side to check the images change between a ‘£’ symbol and the number ’20’.

Hold the note up to the light to check there is a bright ‘£20’ at the top of the Queen’s portrait.

An investigation into these counterfeit notes is currently ongoing.

Anybody who thinks they have been paid using counterfeit currency is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on101 to pass on information.