A SUBWAY customer was left 'humiliated and embarrassed' when a Warrington store refused to accept his Scottish banknote.

Graeme Taylor, who is originally from Scotland, was hoping to buy food from the Subway store in Westbrook Shopping Centre on Wednesday with money left over from a recent trip.

He said: "I ordered my food and went to pay with a Scottish note, to be told by the employee that they will not accept Scottish or Irish notes and was then pointed to a sign on the wall.

"When I challenged this as to why they would not accept, she advised it was company policy and that’s what she had to go with."

In the store there was a note on the wall which read: “Due to the rise in the number of fake bank notes in circulation we are no longer able to accept any £50 notes, any type of Scottish or Irish notes.

“We will be checking every note spent.

“Please do not be offended.

“This is the franchise policy.”

READ MORE > Your pictures of nights out in Warrington

Graeme added: "I felt humiliated and embarrassed to be refused to purchase something.

"Companies the size of Subway should train their staff on the various types of notes, but it comes across as arrogance and naïve to be on our high streets and behave like this as a large organisation.

"This is an act of racism and they need to be held accountable!"

A spokesperson for Subway said: "Every Subway® store is owned and operated independently and, as such, acceptance of bank notes is down to the relevant franchise owner.

"Subway does not have a policy on this that franchise owners are required to follow.

"Due to this particular store receiving a high number of counterfeit notes in recent months, the franchise owner has chosen to introduce this policy across his stores.

"The franchise owner’s policy is clearly displayed via the notice so as to reduce any inconvenience to guests."

Why can Scottish bank notes be rejected?

It is a long-running complaint from many who travel south of the border from Scotland.

However, shops can refuse a Scottish banknote or any banknote for that matter. A business can choose what payment they accept.

They are at liberty to refuse a £50 note or any note, it’s a matter of discretion. 

What is classed as legal tender?

Just to keep things complicated, what's classed as legal tender varies across the UK.

In England and Wales, Royal Mint coins and Bank of England notes are legal tender.

In Scotland and Northern Ireland, only Royal Mint coins are legal tender, with English bank notes not classed as legal tender. 

Debit and credit cards are not classed as legal tender. 

The Bank of England states: “The term legal tender does not in itself govern the acceptability of banknotes in transactions. Whether or not notes have legal tender status, their acceptability as a means of payment is essentially a matter for agreement between the parties involved."

Why are Scottish bank notes refused? 

The majority of banknotes circulating in Scotland are issued by Scottish banks and are accepted quite freely in Scotland and across the UK. 

The notes are also legal currency and are approved by the UK Parliament, however, Scottish banknotes are often refused at the discrepancy of the business.

If a banknote is refused, there is very little you can do as payment is essentially a matter for agreement between the parties involved.