TWO men caught with hundreds of pounds worth of fake Scottish bank notes printed on an inkjet printer have been jailed.

Ricky Burton, 30, of Gurney Road, and Scott Reed, 28, of Ashurst Road, both in Portsmouth, were caught with the counterfeit cash when Reed tried to buy a pregnancy test in Savers in Abingdon.

During a trial at Oxford Crown Court, the court heard how a manager of the shop in High Street refused to serve Reed and handed the £20 Scottish note back on March 29 last year.

Reed was later stopped on Conduit Road together with Burton.

Police searched their car and found a haul of counterfeit notes made up of 18 Scottish bank notes each £20 - totalling £360.

The court also heard the fake bank notes were emblazoned with an identical serial number.

The pair were put before a jury and during the trial both men denied the charges claiming they had stumbled upon the stash of money by chance.

The court heard how Reed only made the decision to use one of the notes ‘out of curiosity’.

Both men were found guilty of one count of possessing counterfeit currency and one count of tendering a counterfeit note as genuine currency.

They were sentenced together at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday.

Recorder Nigel Daly said: “In my opinion you came purposefully to Abingdon, or indeed a different town, to try to pass off this currency.

“You didn’t plead but a jury determined you are guilty.

“Mr Burton in sentencing you its clear you involved yourself with counterfeit currency.

"I accept that you may have learning difficulties but the jury also considered this... and found you guilty.

“Your intention was to fool a shop keeper into taking this counterfeit currency.

“This is something that strikes at the heart of the economy.”

Reed, who wore a long-sleeved white T-shirt and trousers to the sentencing, was sentenced to one year in prison.

He was sentenced to 12 months on each count, which will run concurrently.

In sentencing Reed, Judge Daly, said: “Mr Reed you clearly had a more serious part to play, albeit not a fantastically complex part.

“You have got a very heavy record although you have been doing well recently.

“I would like to keep it as short as my public duty allows me.”

The father-of-three, who wore a shirt, jumper and trousers to the hearing, was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

He was handed 15 months on each count and they will run concurrently.

The judge ordered the destruction of the money.

Investigating officer, PC Alan Russell based at Abingdon police station, said: "These convictions and sentences demonstrate Thames Valley Police we will not tolerate anyone attempting to use counterfeit currency.

"I would like to take this opportunity to remind businesses to continue to work to combat this type of economic crime and to prevent the spread of counterfeit notes.

"You can do so by educating staff on the anti-counterfeit security features that banknotes carry, such as raised print and holograms."