BUSINESSES have been warned to look out for conmen with fake bank notes in the Thornbury area.

Police have issued a warning after a number of incidents in which men with Irish accents tried to use counterfeit £50 notes.

The latest incident, which took place on Friday, January 27, saw a man visit Riddiford’s on Thornbury High Street and pay for low value items with the fake £50, get change and then leave before the shop worker realised the note was a counterfeit.

Not long after, the same con was attempted next door in Hawkins of Thornbury, but by this time shops had been warned and the man was unsuccessful.

Earlier incidents included one on Wednesday, January 11, when two men visited a pub in Pilning and each paid with a fake £50.

Almondsbury Garden Centre also fell victim to the scam on Tuesday, January 17.

Police say that Lloyds Pharmacy on the High Street has also been hit twice by the conmen.

In most cases two men were involved, and were described as white and in their 20s, with strong Irish accents and wearing dark clothing.

However, on other occasions there have been descriptions of an older and a younger man.

In the wake of the incidents, retail staff have been encouraged to check bank notes before accepting them, using a detector pen or ultra-violet light, and to look out for low value items being paid for with a £50.

Police have reassured retailers that protecting businesses is a high priority, with every shop in Thornbury now in the Shop Watch scheme, allowing for more efficient reporting and sharing of information.

Thornbury beat manager PC Sean White said: “We are fully aware of the incidents that have taken place in and around Thornbury and have linked them to a series of similar cases across South Gloucestershire.

“With the Shopwatch scheme now covering every shop in Thornbury, we are quite confident that if our suspects try it again, we will be able to apprehend them.

“We are advising people in the area not to accept £50 notes and to report anything suspicious to us immediately.”

Speaking to the Gazette, Rowena Moncrieffe, chairman of Thornbury Chamber of Commerce, suggested retailers should “proceed with caution”.

“People have got to be very wary,” she said. “If in doubt they should consider refusing the business as it is a lot of money to lose if you are caught out.

“Someone trying to pay a trader with a £50 note is odd in itself – most normal people would not be carrying them around.”

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact police either by calling 101 or online through www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/contact quoting reference 5217016603.

Information can also be reported anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.

More advice on identifying counterfeit notes can be found on the Bank of England’s website www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/Pages/counterfeitadvice.aspx