SHOPKEEPERS and market traders in Tavistock were the victims of a gang passing forged

banknotes last Saturday.

The Village Arcade and two stalls in the Pannier Market were among businesses handed fake £20 notes in return for goods.

In each case, the offender bought a cheap item and was given the appropriate change.

Shaun McDermott, who runs a stall selling pens in the market, was one of the victims of the counterfeit currency.

?I was trading as usual, when this man told me he wanted to buy a football club pen holder, costing £5.95,? he said.

?He paid with a £20 note and I didn?t think anything of it. I was so busy and I didn?t have any reason to question it.?

Mr McDermott said he did not realise there was a problem until two hours later when fellow trader Helen Peck became suspicious.

Miss Peck, who runs a jewellery stall, was also handed a fake £20 note, in return for an item worth £3.99.

She said: ?This guy fed me a sob story about wanting to buy a small gift for his girlfriend or something.

?He kept me chatting the whole time and was very charming.

?The note he gave me didn?t feel right but when I held it up to the light I could see the grey line.

?I still wasn?t happy though, and he must have sensed this because he took his change and disappeared very quickly.?

Miss Peck immediately reported the crime to police.

Fellow traders who heard about their misfortune rallied around and collected enough to replace the losses Mr McDermott and Miss Peck had suffered.

?It?s so nice to see that kind of old-fashioned community spirit,? said Mr McDermott. ?It?s very humbling.?

Miss Peck said: ?It shows the strong sense of community in the market. The fact that everyone rallied around was nice and made us feel good to be a part of it.?

Tavistock police said several town shops were also targeted.

Police described the first offender as a white male, height 5ft 8in, clean shaven, close-cropped dark hair, around 25 years of age, wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt and jeans. He had a stocky build and a chubby face, and spoke with a non-local accent.

Three of the suspects were described as being ?non-white?.

One was about 25, 6ft tall, clean shaven with black short-cropped hair. He was wearing a dark sleeved shirt with light coloured trousers and may have spoken with a northern accent.

Another was 6ft 3in, clean shaven with close-cropped black hair.

The next man was about 6ft tall, short, dark cropped hair, clean shaven, stocky build. He was wearing a thick, gold chunky necklace, a royal blue T-shirt with two thin grey bands across the chest and possibly jeans.

The final description was of a white male, 6ft tall, in his mid-30s, clean shaven with a dark shadow around his chin, with close-cropped dark hair. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and jeans.

Anyone who recognises the descriptions, or can help police in any other way with their enquiries is asked to contact Tavistock police station, quoting crime reference JT/03/1016.

Investigations are continuing and the forged notes are being examined by scenes of crimes reference fingerprints.

Shopkeepers and market traders can protect their businesses from counterfeit banknotes by purchasing a UV keyring light. These cost just £3 and will indicate if a note is false.

For further advice, or to find out more about UV keyrings, contact WPC Angie Frost, crime reduction officer on 01837 658457.