Eur having a laugh!

Pauline Westall and her counterfeit Euros

A STUNNED holidaymaker’s trip to Malta was ruined when she discovered 600 Euros in travel cash from an Oldham currency exchange shop was counterfeit!

Teacher Pauline Westall (55) visited the Money Shop on Oldham’s Curzon Street ahead of the trip with her partner on July 18.

When Ms Westall had spent the last of some Euros left over from a previous trip in Malta she tried to use one of the 50 Euro notes given to her by the currency shop - and the Maltese shopkeeper told her it was fake.

Pauline said: “At first I thought it was only one of the notes and didn’t think anything of it. But I ended up feeling really guilty because I used one of the notes at a bar, so the poor bar owner has a counterfeit note in his till. I then went into another store and was told the note I was trying to use was fake. It was really embarrassing. Back at the hotel the rest of the money was all the same.

“Luckily, my partner had some cash with him, but we were still limited in what we could do. It ruined the holiday.”

Since returning on Saturday, Pauiline has reported the matter to police and complained to the Money Shop.

But her problems aren’t over: the 600 Euros was also supposed to cover a forthcoming trip to Spain to visit her brother. With no assurance from the Money Shop that her cash will be reimbursed, Mrs Westall fears she will be without spending money.

She said: “This could now possibly ruin two trips.”

The currency exchange is now investigating the matter