Key Points
- Shopkeepers in Bolton town centre report a noticeable increase in counterfeit £20 and £50 banknotes being passed in recent weeks.
- Incidents involve fake polymer notes with poor quality security features, such as missing holograms and incorrect tactile markings.
- Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirm they are investigating multiple reports, with at least 15 cases logged since November 2025.
- Bolton Council Trading Standards team has issued warnings and is working with retailers on detection training.
- The British Retail Consortium estimates counterfeit losses cost UK shops £100 million annually, with Bolton seeing a 25% rise locally per council data.
- Shopkeepers demand urgent action, including more patrols and public awareness campaigns.
- No arrests reported yet, but police link incidents to organised crime groups operating across the North West.
- National Crime Agency (NCA) notes a post-pandemic surge in counterfeiting due to cheaper printing tech.
- Retailers like Greggs, local takeaways, and independent stores worst affected.
- Advice issued: check notes under UV light, feel for raised print, and use note-checking machines.
What Has Triggered the Surge in Counterfeit Notes in Bolton?
Shopkeepers first flagged the issue publicly last week, pinpointing a cluster of incidents in the town centre's bustling high street. As reported by Sarah Jenkins of the Bolton News, Ahmed Patel, owner of Patel's Convenience Store, stated:
“We've had three fake £20 notes in the last fortnight alone – customers buy a pack of crisps and vanish. The holograms don't shift properly, and the edges feel wrong.”
Independent verification from multiple sources corroborates this. According to Mike Hargreaves of Manchester Evening News, a Greggs outlet manager, Lisa Thompson, recounted:
“It started mid-November; a £50 note for a pasty looked spot-on at first glance, but the see-through window was smudged. We lost £50 that day.”
Hargreaves noted five similar reports from fast-food chains.
The BBC North West correspondent, Emma Clarkson, detailed how counterfeiters target high-turnover spots. Clarkson quoted Bolton Market trader Fatima Khan:
“People hand over fakes for cheap items like fruit or veg. We've bin £200 worth this month. It's hitting us hard with Christmas coming.”
Council data, shared exclusively with Clarkson, shows a 25% uptick in verified fakes compared to 2024.
Which Specific Counterfeit Notes Are Circulating in Bolton?
Focus remains on polymer £20 and £50 notes, mimicking Bank of England designs but riddled with flaws. As detailed by Tom Reilly of The Guardian's Regional Desk, forensic checks reveal missing metallic threads and incorrect serial numbers. Reilly cited Trading Standards officer David Brooks:
“These are high-quality fakes from industrial printers, but they fail UV tests – no fluorescent strip glows right.”
Sky News reporter Nina Patel expanded on this, interviewing a cash-handling expert. Patel quoted note verification specialist Raj Singh:
“Feel the top left corner on a real £20; it has raised print saying '20'. Fakes are smooth. Bolton's seeing Operationally Identical (OpId) notes, mass-produced abroad.”
Singh linked them to Lebanese and Eastern European syndicates.
Per The Telegraph's North England stringer, Olivia Grant, local jeweller Mark Evans lost £300:
“A £50 for a chain repair – ink smudged under the Queen's portrait. We use penny tests now; real notes stay purple.”
Grant's piece referenced NCA stats: 1.2 million fake notes seized UK-wide in 2024, with North West hotspots.
How Are Greater Manchester Police Responding to the Counterfeit Crisis?
GMP has launched an investigation under Operation Vulcan, confirming active probes. As reported by Detective Inspector Rachel Holt of GMP in a statement to ITV Granada,
“We've recorded 15 counterfeit passes in Bolton since 1 November 2025, mostly town centre. No arrests yet, but we're following leads to organised groups.”
Daily Mail crime correspondent Ben Fletcher attributed to PC Liam Doherty:
“Patrols increased around shopping areas; we're partnering with banks for intel.”
Fletcher noted links to wider Manchester ops, seizing £10,000 in fakes last month.
Chief Inspector Sonia Khan told The Independent's local bureau chief, Alex Rivera:
“Shopkeepers, report every incident via 101. We're training officers on note detection.”
Rivera highlighted GMP's app for instant fake checks.
What Role Is Bolton Council Playing in Tackling Fake Notes?
Bolton Council's Trading Standards leads local efforts. Trading Standards Manager Helen Whitaker, as quoted by Local Democracy Reporting Service journalist Priya Sharma, said:
“We've distributed 500 free note detectors to traders and held workshops. Counterfeiting costs Bolton businesses £50,000 yearly.”
Sharma also covered a council motion by Councillor Gurpreet Singh:
“Demand GMP prioritise this; it's crippling independents.”
Express & Star reporter Dave Lowe reported Whitaker's stats: 40 alerts in Q4 2025, double last year.
Why Is Counterfeiting Rising Across the UK, Including Bolton?
Experts tie the surge to post-pandemic factors. NCA lead on economic crime, Laura Jenkins, told Financial Times North West analyst Mark Collins:
“Cheaper inkjet printers and online tutorials fuel it. UK fakes up 30% since 2022; North West hit hardest.”
As per The Times economics editor Ruth Davies, British Retail Consortium's Helen Dickinson stated:
“Retail loses £100m annually to fakes. Bolton mirrors national trends – opportunists target cash-heavy spots.”
Davies cited Bank of England data: 9,000 fake notes detected monthly.
Channel 4 News investigator Tom Seymour quoted criminologist Dr. Elena Vasquez:
“Economic squeeze pushes petty crime; organised nets distribute via mules.”
Which Businesses in Bolton Are Most Affected by Counterfeit Notes?
Small independents bear the brunt. Bolton Today editor-in-chief Nadia Ali quoted newsagent Ravi Sharma:
“Daily floats hit; £20 fakes for cigs or Lotto. Can't absorb losses.”
Takeaways feature prominently. As reported by North West Enquirer's Fiona McGee, kebab shop owner Tariq Mahmood said:
“£50 fakes weekly – late-night passes. CCTV helps, but staff miss them.”
Pubs too: Morning Star regional hack Joe Brennan cited landlord Pete Walsh:
“Pints paid with fakes; we've lost £150. Punters deny it.”
What Detection Methods Do Experts Recommend for Bolton Shopkeepers?
Authorities push practical checks. Bank of England guidelines, relayed by Which? Magazine's consumer reporter Sam Evans, include:
“Hold to light – see Britannia watermark. Tilt for hologram change. Feel texture.”
Which? also quoted Bolton trader training session lead, Mike Turner:
“UV pens mark fakes brown; reals yellow. Invest in Sortacheck machines – £20 each.”
GMP's community safety officer Aisha Rahman, per Community News Network's Lee Parker, advised:
“Train staff; refuse change for large notes.”
When Did Bolton Shopkeepers First Notice the Counterfeit Increase?
Timeline starts early November. Bolton Evening Post archive by veteran reporter Geoff Nolan traces first reports to 5 November at a supermarket. Nolan quoted early whistleblower, baker Sue Ellis:
“Fake £20 cluster that week.”
Escalation hit mid-December. Prolific North business editor Claire Hayes noted peak pre-Christmas:
“Town centre traders formed a WhatsApp group sharing pics of duds.”
Where Else in Greater Manchester Are Similar Issues Reported?
Bolton isn't isolated. Manchester Online data desk led by stats whiz Tim Bradshaw reported:
“Oldham 20 cases, Bury 12, Rochdale 18 since November.”
GMP-wide, Superintendent Jo Todd told Granada Reports' Salford bureau:
“300 fakes across force area; cross-borough taskforce active.”
Who Is Behind the Counterfeit Notes Flooding Bolton?
Suspicions point to networks. NCA's organised crime analyst, per The Spectator's crime brief Liam Fox:
“Turkish and Vietnamese printers supply North West gangs.”
Local intel, as shared by GMP's economic crime unit with Private Eye's undercover stringer:
“Mules – often addicts – pass notes for cash kickbacks.”