The Clitheroe +^ThursdayV^May 3rd, M , Np. 6,301 i j " ‘ - ,y -


news aiid views from'the.Ceirt of the Kmgdomv imes


Alert as fake £1 coins flood shops


______by Faiza Afzaal______


AN alert has been-issued to traders and shoppers over counterfeit pound coins circu­ lating in Clitheroe. Police are urging local people to


be on their guard after a concerned trader contacted the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times having unwittingly received 18 fake £1 coins in one day. The local shopkeeper, who \vish-


es to remain anonymous, says he is fed-up of being passed the coun­ terfeit coins on a daily basis and fears the problem is spiralling out of control. He added: “I have been running


my shop for 24 years and have never experienced so many prob­ lems with forged coins. In fact, I have been passed more fake £1 coins in the past three months than I have received in the past two decades. “The coins are so realistic they


are near impossible to tell from the real thing. Although the coins are identical in shape they appear to be in dozens of different designs. I just feel so helpless. “I am noticing about five to six


fake coins on a daily basis. The other day I found three in 15 min­ utes. “People are just turning a blind


A Royal Mint spokesman said: I 't ;


“Any level of counterfeiting is a matter of concern. Down the cen­ turies, people have attempted to counterfeit coins with varying degrees of success. In modern times counterfeiting has not been a serious problem, but i t does exist. “There are often a number of


REAL FORGERY


eye and passing them on instead of handing them over to the police.” The shopkeeper highlighted a


rise in the number of coins from Gibraltar and incidents in which children were paying tor goods in £1 coins, some of which were fake and which they had been given by parents who had been in local pub­ lic houses the previous evening. Although Clitheroe’s Sgt Mark


Porter said he was not aware of a rise in the number of counterfeit coins,'he is asking residents to check their change carefully. He commented: “We are urging


shoppers and traders to be on their guard and to check the pound coins carefully. The fake ones are similar to the real thing in size and colour.


“Anyone with doubts about the


coins they receive should contact the police. It anyone tries to pay with a large amount of pound coins, make sure you check them carefully. Usually they are slightly lighter then the real ones and if you look carefully enough you may be able to tell the difference.”


clues in the general appearance of the coin. These include the colour, design features, composition of the alloy, clarity of the edge inscrip­ tion tor example on the £1 coin ( see picture below), weight and the quality of production. “The Royal Mint continues to


liaise closely with the banks and law enforcement agencies and to monitor the position closely. “It is a criminal offence to make


or use counterfeited coins. Any member of the public who sus­ pects they have a counterfeited coin should not attempt to spend it. Counterfeited coins can be handed over to the police.” ® When we checked the till at


the Advertiser and Times, we dis­ covered three suspicious coins out of 15, one of which was almost cer­ tainly counterfeit and pictured here. If you have experienced any


problems with fake coins or notes, please call Clitheroe Police on 01200 443344.


Spotlight on this week’s Ribble Valley hot properties propertyl


Price 62|i'r:


lomes for sale, property ^ let. new homes and properties v;anted | 0^222 * '*' ^


@ Turn to page 27 for our 18-page property special


Abbi’s jumping for joy!


WHY is 12 year-old Abbi Beckett the envy of her friends in her new job? Turn to page 4 to dis­


cover the t i tle of the Clitheroe Royal Gram­


CLITHEROE CA R P ET l¥iiLL SHOP


OUR FIRST YEARS ANNIVERSARY IN CLITHEROE - THANKING ALL OUR MEW AND EXISTING CUST0R1ERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT I I


'^ ^ ^ c h e r s O f R g t ' - , . k : .


WE ARE HERE


© 1 2 0 © 4 2 9 9 1 1 WHALLEY MITCHELL WORKS


ESHTON TERRACE, CLITHEROE (NEXTTO LEVEL CROSSING)


Also at BELGARTH ROAD, ACCRINGTON Tel 01254 396611 OUR QUALITY SERVICE INCLUDES: » FRE E ESTIWATES ♦ EKPERIENCEO IN-HOUSE F ITTERS. PROfiliPT SUPPLY & FiniWG • LARGE SELEGTiOtj OF LAmiMATES IN STOCK J_J__ | ^ CLITHEROE


HUGE DISCOUNTS TO CELEBRATE


mar School pupil’s new role. And find out ju s t


what Abbi and her friends will be doing during th e summer months.


*!! " Its m


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38