Wetherspoons has stopped accepting Scottish £20 and £50 notes across its pubs in England as they are reportedly used by criminal gangs. Customers have not been able to use the money since November, but the decision has only just come to light after multiple complaints. JD Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said the company was notified by the Bank of England that a “large number of fake Scottish £20 notes were being put into circulation by organised crime gangs” in October.
He said: “Advice was given as to how to identify them, but with a warning not to accept if in doubt. This warning, coupled with an increase in the receipt of fake notes in pubs, led to a decision in late November last year not to accept Scottish £20 notes. Scottish £50 notes are not accepted for the same reasons. We will continue to keep this decision under review.”
Gershon added that some pubs with close ties to Scotland can still use the notes. Martin Quinn, from the Campaign for Cash, told Sky News: “It’s really not ideal if you have Scottish or Northern Irish notes and can’t spend them; they become worthless, unless you are heading back to Scotland.”
Quinn added that there are multiple security features on the banknotes, being much safer than the old paper notes. He suggested chains should have checks in place so staff could accurately check for forgeries.
