Three men who appeared in court accused in connection with possessing nearly £20,000 of counterfeit £20 notes have been discharged by Highbury Corner Magistrates Court, London.

Plain clothes police officers spotted Darren Alexander Hylton, 36, of Guthrie Avenue, Whinney Banks, Middlesbrough, and Alan Barnes, 40, of Acklam Road, Middlesbrough, talking to a man in a white BMW, in Essex Road, Islington, North London.

The driver of the car, Russ Cooke, 45, of Essex Road, was then seen to hand the two men a plastic bag before driving off.

The officers stopped Hylton and Barnes, discovering the plastic bag contained £19,900 in £20 notes, the majority displaying the same serial number.

The BMW was found in the vicinity and all three men were arrested.

They were charged with two counts of having counterfeit notes, and Mr Barnes and Mr Cooke each charged with one count of passing or tendering counterfeit notes.