There have been reports of counterfeit money being used in the Thornbury and Yate area.

Last week Thornbury beat manager PC Paula Manos was someone had tried to hand over fake £20 notes in exchange for goods.

Luckily it was immediately identified as fake and refused.

A Facebook post from The Swan Inn, Tytherington, stated men had tried to pay with fake £50 notes, with other publicans from the Yate and Sodbury area also reporting counterfeit banknotes had been used in recent days.

The Bank of England say they cannot reimburse people for counterfeit banknotes but do have advice on how to avoid being left out of pocket.

Each note has a number of security features. To check a £20 note is genuine hold it up to the light and check the watermark. You should see the Queen's portrait and a bright '£20'. Also look at the coloured irregular shapes printed on the front and back. They combine to form the £ symbol.

A metallic thread appears as silver dashes on the back of the note. If you hold the note up to the light, the thread appears as a continuous dark line.

An ultraviolet light should also be used. Look at the front of the note to see the number 20 appear in bright red and green. You will also see randomly spread bright red and green flecks on both the front and back of the note. The rest of the note will look dull in contrast.

If you have a magnifying glass to look closely at the lettering beneath the Queen's portrait. You will see the value of the note in small letters and numbers.

There is also a holographic strip that has a number of foil patches along its length, which contain alternating holographic images. When you tilt the note, one hologram shows a multi-coloured image of Adam Smith. The other changes between a multi-coloured £ symbol and the number 20.

The look and feel of the paper is another giveaway. You will feel raised print in areas such as the words 'Bank of England' and in the bottom right corner, around the number 20. The printed lines and colours are sharp, clear and free from smudges or blurred edges.

The Bank of England will be issuing a new polymer £20 note next month. This will have new security features including a hologram image change.

If you suspect that you have a counterfeit banknote, take it to your nearest police station.

The police should fill out an NCO-1 form and provide you with a receipt and incident number. The suspect notes will be sent to the National Crime Agency and if counterfeit to the Bank of England for further examination.

If you have information about someone making, selling or using counterfeit banknotes, contact the police or phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

More information is available at bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes