A COUPLE who tried to use forged Scottish banknotes to buy hundreds of pounds worth of sports clothes at shops in Bromsgrove were foiled by a suspicious assistant who tipped off the police.

Twenty-two-year-old Johnny Doran, of Burtonwood Road, Perry Barr, was jailed for 12 months after he admitted ten charges of passing or tendering forged banknotes and one of possessing counterfeit currency. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of his then girlfriend Elizabeth Nolan, of Prentice Court, Goldings, Northampton, after she failed to attend court.

Prosecuting solicitor Rona Campbell said that on July 15 last year Doran and Nolan passed forged Bank of Scotland £20 notes at shops near Solihull.

They moved on to Bromsgrove where they tried to buy £160 of clothes from Giles Sports, in High Street, but the assistant was suspicious about the Scottish notes and refused to accept them.

She also called the police after the couple left the shop and when they went into nearby D&D Sports officers arrived and arrested them as they were trying to use forged notes to buy clothing worth £130.

Keys found on Doran were seized by the police who tried them in a number of cars parked in the town centre.

And when the keys opened a Ford Sierra the police discovered more counterfeit notes with a face value of £750 in the glove compartment.

Defending solicitor Derek Iles said Nolan was more to blame for the offences and pointed out that when she was arrested she told the police: "It's got nothing to do with him. He knew nothing about it."

He said Nolan was 'much brighter' than Doran, who has never learned to read or write.