A man has admitted to fraud after using fake £20 notes at businesses in Ulverston town centre.
Cumbria police received reports on Monday July 6 that a man had visited independent shops to buy items with counterfeit Scottish £20 notes to get legitimate cash in return.
An officer from Ulverston’s community team arrived within three minutes of the call.
The officer saw the suspect trying to hand a suspicious note to a local butcher and detained him for a search.
Police found fake Scottish notes and items bought from local stores.
The man was arrested and taken into custody.
During a police interview, he admitted to four counts of fraud and two counts of attempted fraud.
Within 24 hours, the officer returned the lost items and cash to the affected stores, Furness police said.
Cumbria police said: “Our advice to criminals travelling to the area to commit crime is simple: don’t.
“Our advice to local businesses is to ensure you are aware of this scam and stay up to date with the signs to look for when identifying counterfeit notes.
“Please continue to report these incidents to us and we will respond.”
