A man who produced counterfeit £20 notes on an industrial scale has been jailed after using the fake currency in Great Yarmouth.

David Shepherd, 30, of Great Warley, Brentwood, Essex, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on September 29 after he was convicted of two counts of counterfeiting.

Norfolk Police provided CCTV evidence from a high street sandwich store in Great Yarmouth that showed Shepherd using fake notes.

Shepherd was prosecuted after an investigation by the Metropolitan Police's Serious Crime Unit.

After his fingerprints were found on notes used in London, a search warrant was executed at his home and evidence of counterfeiting equipment on an industrial scale was found at his home.

This included printers, foils, UV inks and laminators.

Liaison with the Bank of England evidenced the counterfeit £20 notes via a unique serial number.

He was jailed for two and a half years.

DC Jonathan Roberts, of the Met's Serious Crime Unit, said: 'Shepherd was responsible for producing thousands of counterfeit bank notes from a forgery factory in his home address.

'He was caught as the result of an investigation, carried out in partnership with the National Crime Agency's National Counterfeit Unit, the Bank Of England and Norfolk Constabulary.

'The lengthy custodial sentence reflects the serious nature of this crime and should act as a warning to others engaged in this type of criminality.'