Shops in Perth are refusing to accept Scottish paper bank notes weeks before an official deadline for their withdrawal, it has been claimed.
Local MP Pete Wishart has intervened after one of his constituents complained Asda and Superdrug stores in the Fair City refused to take his paper £5 notes.
The currency will be withdrawn on March 1 following the introduction of polymer notes. English paper £5 notes were withdrawn last year.
Shopper Douglas Martin claimed staff at both stores had told him they were ordered by English-based headquarters not to accept the money.
He said: “I have had a couple of instances over the space of a couple of days where shops refused Scottish paper notes.
“Staff said the reason was that they are English companies with HQs down south and they had said not to take Scottish notes.
“I’m not sure they are confused about the withdrawal of English notes but they should still be taking the money. I asked at the bank when I was in and they said they’d had lots of complaints about this.
“It’s irritating and it shouldn’t be happening.”
Mr Wishart, SNP MP for Perth and North Perthshire, said: “I am alarmed to hear that customers have had difficulties in spending paper Scottish bank notes in shops around Perthshire and Tayside.
“It is my understanding that shops should still be accepting these even although they are due to be withdrawn shortly. I have written to the Treasury to ask them to address the anomaly over the ‘legal tender’ issue surrounding Scottish bank notes in the hope that this will address issues like this once and for all.”
A spokesman for Superdrug denied refusing the Scottish notes.
She said: “We can confirm that Superdrug stores have not been informed that they cannot accept £5 notes and are still accepting them until March 1.”
Asda declined to comment.
