Scots notes refused by meter

SHOPS and cabbies in England already turn their noses up at them, and now it seems a car park in the Highlands is reluctant to accept Scottish bank notes.

Pay machines at a multi-storey car park in Inverness are refusing to take some Scottish notes while readily accepting English currency.

The problem is the latest glitch to hit the Rose Street facility, operated by Highland Council, since it switched to a new exit regime last week. Already motorists have been complaining at queues which build up at the new exit barriers during rush hour.

Now council officials are having to order new software for the machines after drivers said they could not pay with their Scottish notes.

Les Houlker, technical manager with the council's transport, environment and community services department, said: "It's something that's probably slipped through without realising."