7 in 10 Scots have money rejected in England

Seven in ten Scots have had cash payments rejected in England, according to new research.

More than 50 per cent of those surveyed said they were told Scottish money was not legal tender. Picture: Jon Savage

In a survey of 1,000 Scots, London is the most common place for Scottish bank notes to be refused, followed by Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle.

More than 50 per cent of respondents said they have had notes rejected after being told they were not legal tender.

The Scottish £10 is the most likely note to be refused, followed by the £20 – as many shopkeepers claim that legally they do not have to accept them.

Reasons given included “it looks forged”, “I could lose my job”, “it’s not worth the hassle to separate Scottish notes from English notes” – and even that it “looks like Monopoly money”.

Around 13 per cent asked even claimed that English currency should be rejected in Scotland.

The study also found that one in ten have had their Scottish currency refused at a bureau de change, with Spain and France the countries most likely to reject Scots’ cash.

A spokesman for www.ScotPoll.com said: “There appears to be an enduring ignorance about the validity of Scottish banknotes in England.”