IN response to Mrs H Hamer's remarks about forged Scottish bank notes (Letters, December 12), I am sorry that a particular charity shop is being targeted by people who have obviously learned that this place is an easy target for receiving goods by fraudulent means.

However, this does not mean that all Scottish notes are forged. There are ways to reduce the influx of fraudulent notes, both English and Scottish, one being a pen that costs under £5 -- not much considering the effects on profit.

In the same issue, D Richmond corrected one's belief about legal tender -- a definition which is confusing. If English bank notes are 'not legal tender' in Scotland, then they must be a legally-defined means of payment, as I have never had to go to the bureau de change to spend over the border.

MARI THOMPSON (Mrs), Thorn Hill Close, Chester Park, Blackburn.