A YOUNG Scottish mother who tried to pay her bus fare in Portsmouth with a Scottish banknote had her money rejected by the bus driver, even though he works for a Scottish-based company.

Accompanied by her mother and holding her three-month-old son, Lisa Bryce boarded a First Solent bus, part of the Aberdeen-based FirstGroup.

She told a newspaper: “My mum tried to pay for our tickets but she only had a Scottish £10 note. The driver said he didn’t have any change. I asked if it was because it was Scottish money, but he just looked away sheepishly. I could see he had change in the little box but he just kept saying he didn’t have any.”

The company has apologised, but it’s the second time in just over a year that First buses have been guilty of refusing Scottish notes.

In January last year, sixth-form student Jack Banfield tried to pay his fare on a FirstCymru bus in Swansea with a Scottish banknote that he had received from relatives in Glasgow. The teenager had no change to meet the £1.70 fare, and had to get off and wait for another bus – only to be told the same thing.

First Cymru apologised to Banfield and a First Cymru spokeswoman said at the time: “We will investigate what has happened here and will talk to those staff involved to ensure that nothing like this happens again.”

The National revealed last year that Scottish banknotes, and for that matter Northern Irish banknotes, are not “legal tender” in England or Wales.

The Bank of England states: “In ordinary everyday transactions, the term ‘legal tender’ in its purest sense need not govern a banknote’s acceptability in transactions.

“The acceptability of a Scottish or Northern Ireland banknote as a means of payment is essentially a matter for agreement between the parties involved.

“If both parties are in agreement, Scottish and Northern Ireland banknotes can be used in England and Wales.”

The Bank of England can and does reassure people and businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that the monetary value of Scottish banknotes is guaranteed by the Bank.

The Bank’s advice is that “holders of genuine Scottish and Northern Ireland banknotes are provided with a level of protection similar to that provided to holders of Bank of England banknotes. This is because the issuing banks must back their banknote issue using a combination of Bank of England banknotes, UK coin and funds in an interest bearing bank account at the Bank of England.”

The Scottish Clearing Banks organisation issues the following advice: “Scottish notes circulate and are accepted quite freely in Scotland and, for the most part, they are also readily accepted in England and Wales, although branches of Scottish banks there may not issue them.

“However, you should not rely absolutely on Scottish notes being accepted outside Scotland and this is particularly true when travelling abroad.”

Dervla McKay, First Solent’s general manager, said: “Scottish notes are accepted on all First Bus’s services across the UK.

“We are sorry that in this instance, Ms Bryce’s payment was not accepted. We have apologised to her and have reminded the driver concerned that Scottish notes should be accepted at all times on all services.”