RESIDENTS of a resort are being urged to check their wallets and purses for forged notes.

Counterfeit £20 notes are in circulation in and around Redcar. There have been several instances over the past few weeks of businesses coming across the forged notes while cashing up.

The forgeries are printed on poor-quality paper and the silver seal on the left-hand side of the corner of the bogus notes is a visibly poorer quality than the genuine seal.

The silver thread which runs down the note is not solid and all the notes have the same serial number.

PC Steve Craigh said: "Genuine notes have a much higher definition of print.

"They bear a watermark only visible when held up to the light and a silver thread. The paper itself feels crisper and of a higher quality than a counterfeit note.''

Police want anyone with information about the forgeries to contact them on (01642) 302626.