Forgery team seizes cartoon money

Two shops were raided under forgery laws after selling novelty bank notes with pictures of cartoon characters.

The notes, which were taken from shops in Blackburn and Darwen, showed pictures of cartoons, Dr Who and a football team - instead of the Queen.

But trading standards officials in Lancashire were concerned they could have been mistaken for real money.



Officials seized hundreds of the notes, which were in £5, £10, £20 and £50 denominations and were being sold for £1 for four notes.

The Queen's head had been replaced with a variety of pictures from Dr Who, Star Wars, Winnie the Pooh and Barbie.

Councillor John Slater, Blackburn and Darwen Borough Council, executive member for citizens and consumer rights, said: "Part of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act makes it a criminal offence to reproduce banknotes in any way, without the written consent of the Bank of England."

With news video.