In the lead up to Christmas, the independent crime-fighting charity, Crimestoppers, is today appealing to the public for information on those making, buying or selling counterfeit banknotes.

In the first half of 2017, over 237,000 worthless counterfeit banknotes with a notional value of over £4.88 million were removed from the UK’s streets.

While less than 1% of notes in circulation are counterfeit, this is not a victimless crime. Many retailers, businesses, schools, charities and the elderly have been conned out of money using fake notes.

Christmas is a time when more cash changes hands, especially £20 and £50 notes, and fraudsters take advantage of the festive season by targeting busy shops with temporary staff.

Incidents include scammers tricking innocent members of the public into swapping fake £20 notes for two genuine £10 notes, and businesses being left out of pocket if they take a counterfeit note.

Counterfeit notes are also known to be linked to serious and organised criminal gangs. One gang was sentenced to over three years’ imprisonment for the manufacture of £320,000 worth of fake notes. In another more recent case, three men were prosecuted after £40,000 of fake notes were found in a Kent property that was also used to supply cannabis.

As well as raising public awareness of fake banknotes, in October Crimestoppers partnered with the Bank of England to launch the Banknote Checking Scheme. Aimed at cash-handling businesses, it promotes banknote checking at point of sale through targeted training, with the aim of reducing the number of counterfeit notes being accepted.

Further information on fake notes can be found on Crimestoppers’ web page at fakenotes.co.uk.

Director of Operations for Crimestoppers, Roger Critchell, said: “Fake notes are completely worthless and knowingly holding or passing on counterfeit notes is a crime”.

“The purpose of this campaign is to raise awareness of counterfeit money, especially around Christmas when money can be tight, but also to highlight how heartless and callous fraudsters can be when targeting their victims”.

“I’d ask that anyone with information on those selling counterfeit notes contact Crimestoppers anonymously, safe in the knowledge no one will know you spoke to us, and knowing you may have prevented someone’s Christmas from being ruined.”

Ben Crosland, Senior Manager of Banknote Engagement and Communications at the Bank of England, said: “The general public play an important role when it comes to reporting counterfeit currency. Campaigns like this and the recently launched Banknote Checking Scheme, are essential to encourage the public and businesses to help us and law enforcement stop the counterfeiters.”

If you have information on those making, selling or buying counterfeit notes then please contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through our Anonymous Online Form at crimestoppers-uk.org/give-info.

A shocking 4,828 children in the West Midlands will wake up homeless and in temporary accommodation this Christmas, a new report by Shelter reveals today.

Across Britain, one in every 111 children is currently homeless, and with the country still at the mercy of a worsening housing crisis, 2017 has seen the highest numbers of homeless children in a decade.

In the last year alone, 61% of the families helped by Shelter’s frontline services were homeless or on the brink of losing their home. With at least 16 families becoming homeless every day in the West Midlands, the charity is calling on the public to support its urgent Christmas appeal.

To expose the devastating reality of homelessness, Shelter carried out in-depth interviews with children and their parents living in emergency B&Bs and hostels. This is widely considered the worst type of temporary accommodation. In the unique investigation:

• Every family lived in a single room which significantly disrupts the children’s ability to play, do homework and carry out any kind of daily routine
• A quarter of families had no access to a kitchen at all, and the rest had to make do with shared facilities. Struggling to cook meals, more than half of parents said they rely on expensive and unhealthy takeaways. And two-thirds had to eat family meals on the bed or floor of their room
• Half of families had to share toilet and bathroom facilities with other households, often with filthy conditions and unlockable doors, meaning strangers could walk in at any moment
• More than a third of parents had to share a bed with their children. Three quarters say bedtimes have become difficult and half say their children are more tired

• Three quarters of parents felt their children’s mental health had been badly affected. One parent said her daughter had become suicidal since living in the hostel
• Half of parents reported that their children’s physical health had also worsened, with incidents of bed bug infestations, and broken heating causing children to fall ill
• Children spoke about feeling anxious, afraid and ashamed. Several children described school as a respite. For one it was the only place he felt happy, another felt stressed at the thought of returning to her accommodation at the end of the school day
• Children also talked about their school work suffering because of long journeys to school each day, poor and broken sleep, and having no space or quiet-time to do their homework

“Many of us will spend Christmas day enjoying all of the festive traditions we cherish, but sadly it’ll be a different story for those children hidden away in cramped B&Bs or hostel rooms. Imagine living in a noisy strange place full of people you don’t know, and waking up exhausted from having no choice but to share a bed with your siblings or parents.

“That’s why our frontline advisers will continue to work tirelessly to help more families fighting homelessness. But we can’t do this alone. We’re asking people to help a homeless family and make giving to Shelter their new Christmas tradition.”

With Brexit looming, recent research suggests Brits are turning to traditional British comfort food more than ever before and further cementing the growing trend with seven in ten saying when given the choice they would always choose a product that was made in the UK.

The research conducted by Young’s Seafood polled 2,000 adults and revealed what Brits love so much about British food with over 60% citing the fact it is traditional and comforting. Not only do they feel love for these dishes but Brits even have an emotional reaction when they eat them with half expressing it makes them feel good and 45% reminding them of their childhood. It’s not surprising then that 1 in 5 voted fish fingers, beans and chips as their favourite British meal, a classic childhood dish.

A whopping 98% of Brits agreed that family meal times are important with Roast chicken, fish and chips and Shepherds pie, all making the top 10 line up of favourite British meals. 62% voted British food as the best in the world with prawn cocktail, a full roast chicken dinner and apple and blackberry crumble voted the ultimate three course meal.

When it comes to cooking traditional cuisine over three quarters enjoy cooking traditional British meals with Mum being the sole teacher at 58%, but nearly half having taught themselves how to rustle up these types of dishes.

A traditional meal wouldn’t be complete without a British favourite, with the survey further revealing a list of favourite British brands that include Heinz, Warburton’s, Young’s Seafood and Marmite – all of which take pride of place on kitchen tables all over the country.

A spokesperson for Young’s Seafood said: “It’s great to see most Brits would choose products made in the UK and that you still cannot beat simple British classics like beans on toast or a fish finger sandwich. Young’s have been making delicious fish dishes here for over 200 years and are proud to be recognised as a favourite British brand still making the only branded fish finger in Britain.”

Library customers in the City of Wolverhampton can now access the latest bestselling eBooks and eAudiobooks at their fingertips – and for free.

The City of Wolverhampton Council has signed up to BorrowBox, enabling library members to download over 600 favourite eBooks and 630 eAudiobooks for free via the BorrowBox library on any Apple iOS and Google Android phone, tablet or computer.

Titles can be borrowed for free for a period of three weeks, at which point they can be renewed or will automatically be deleted from people’s devices, meaning customers won’t be fined for forgetting to return books on time.

Councillor John Reynolds, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: "At a time when library services in other parts of the country are being cut back, we are continuing to invest in our libraries here in the City of Wolverhampton – and BorrowBox is the latest in a long line of exciting developments which is bringing improved services to our customers.

"BorrowBox offers a great range of titles available including thrillers, drama, romance and suspense from best-selling authors including Ruth Rendell, Bernard Cornwell, James Patterson, Jo Nesbo, Harlan Coben and David Baldacci, as well as children’s titles, non-fiction and biographies.

“These eBooks and eAudiobooks are likely to be particularly popular with busy people who find it hard to make time to go to their local library or who like to listen to books when they are out and about, and also to customers who may have a visual impairment and therefore struggle to read the printed word.

“I would encourage our customers to download the app to enjoy this fantastic new service – and if you are not already a member, BorrowBox is just another great reason to join for free.”

It's free to join Wolverhampton's libraries. To find out more, please visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/libraries.

BorrowBox is being introduced as part of the City of Wolverhampton Council’s 10-year Transforming Libraries Strategy to create a modern, vibrant and sustainable library service.

Have you ever wondered what happens when the lights are all switched off and the day draws to a close over the Christmas period at Bullring and Grand Central?  For the first time ever CCTV picked up some magical movements through the early hours of the morning.

The countdown to Christmas is underway and Santa's acrobatic Parkour elves have been spotted preparing for the festive season at Bullring and Grand Central. The elves were caught skillfully making their way around the shops throughout the night, ticking off gifts from children's Christmas lists ahead of the big present unwrapping on 25^th December.

Santa and four of his mischievous elves were caught on camera in the centre injecting a slice of Christmas sparkle into Christmas shopping. The festive five travelled all the way from the North Pole to make the most of Bullring and Grand Central's premier shopping facilities such as Selfridges, Debenhams and John Lewis. The elves were seen performing awe-inspiring flips and tricks galore throughout the shopping centre before disappearing into the night on Santa's sleigh.

The video includes flips, tumbles and tricks throughout both Bullring and Grand Central at night. Santa, who is sent Ella's Christmas wish list, directs the Parkour Elves to grab her gifts, as well as presents for her mum and dad. The energetic Christmas Elves flip in and out of John Lewis and Selfridges, and even enjoy a quick snack with Santa at Cereal Killer Café.

Danielle Bozward, Marketing Manager at Bullring and Grand Central said: "We are counting down the days to Christmas, and it's clear the festive spirit is infectious. Our interactive Christmas lights have attracted our most magical visitors to date; Santa and his Parkour Elves. We are honored here at Bullring and Grand Central that Santa has chosen the centre as Birmingham's premier gifting destination this festive season."

Christmas is coming and there is much to look forward to for the whole family – including your pet pooch.

But while your dog may enjoy their own special Christmas meal, or their own gift under the tree, it’s important to remember the busy festive season can be stressful for your pet. Travelling to new places and a busy home can cause anxiety, and that extra cheeky sausage at dinner is not balanced out with an extra-long walk on Boxing Day.

So to lend a helping hand Siobhan Griffin, Learning and Development Executive at Lintbells, manufacturer of natural premium pet supplements has shared some top tips on how to make your dog’s Christmas the best one yet.

• Travelling somewhere new

“If you are travelling in a car make sure your canine companion is safe and secure by using a harness, fixed crate or a partition in the back. You will also need to monitor the temperature, don’t let the car get too hot or too cold, and never leave them in the car alone. To ensure a stress free journey allow your dog to become familiar with the car beforehand, let them have a sniff around and even put a blanket in there with a familiar scent if needed.

• Keep calm it’s Christmas

• Time for presents

• Doggy dinners

“The key foods your furry friends should avoid this Christmas are anything with onions or garlic in including stuffing and gravy, dried fruits which can be found in mince pies and Christmas pudding, along with alcohol, cheese and of course chocolate. Try to stick to lean meats, vegetable scraps (without onions) and boiled potatoes.

• Get moving on Boxing Day

• Seeing the New Year in with a bang