A man has been fined £609 after using counterfeit money at a store in Saltcoats and failing to appear at court.

James Connell, of Govan, appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week and pled guilty to two charges.

On May 5 at Semichem, Connell passed or tendered as genuine to a sales assistant, a Clydesdale Bank £20 note which he knew or believed to be a counterfeit of a protected coin or currency note.

Being an accused person having been granted bail on May 8 at the court in Kilmarnock, Connell failed without reasonable excuse to appear at a diet on July 26.

Connell was fined £300 for the offence under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act. For failing to appear at court, he was fined £209.