Forgers forced to hand over cash

6:55am Monday 11th June 2007

FORGERS who helped flood the country with £14million in counterfeit notes have been ordered to hand over ill-gotten gains.

Snaresbrook Crown Court has ordered members of the gang to hand over a total of £344,959 to the authorities.

Terence Jackson, 59, of Suffolk Court, Rochford, was been jailed for five years. He was found to have made £45,000 and to still have £3,039 in assets. He was told to forfeit the £3,039 within six months, or spend an extra three months in prison.

Leigh-Nicole Byard, 24, London Road, Benfleet, who was jailed for four years, was found to have benefited by £45,000 and to have £17,000 in assets. She must hand over her assets within six months or face an extra ten months jail-time.

Nine other members of the gang were also ordered to hand over money.

Byard and Jackson were both involved in a conspiracy to make counterfeit £20 notes with intent between September 2004 and December 2005.

But Judge William Kennedy said they formed only part of a "pyramid" of gang members and were not right at the top.

He added: "I'm keen to demonstrate the proceeds of crime should not remain in their hands, but I'm not in the business of taking away homes of family members who have been there for many years and have perfectly honestly acquired them."

The Bank of England was aware criminals were producing good-quality dud £20 notes in large quantities in 2004 and called police.

The operation accounted for 66 per cent of all fake notes recovered by the bank in 2005.