SECURITY officers at Tesco's Hill Street store in Blackburn set up surveillance cameras after a large number of counterfeit coins started to be used in a savings stamps machine.

And Blackburn magistrates heard that Wayne Knight was caught on film as he fed five fake £1 coins into the machine.

Knight, 28, of Leicester Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to theft of five Tesco savings vouchers, tendering a counterfeit coin and possessing a counterfeit coin. He asked for three similar offences to be taken into consideration and was fined a total of £155 with £50 costs.

Simon Farnsworth, defending, said: "He is not prepared to name the person who gave him the coins for fear of repercussions."

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