Old £10 notes must be spent by March

THE OLD £10 note must be spent by March after the Bank of England revealed the date for when it will cease to be legal tender.

A use by date of March 1, 2018, has been slapped on £10 paper notes following the introduction of the plastic tenner on September 14.

However, old notes can still be spent ahead of the cut-off date, or exchanged at the Bank once this point has passed.

The Bank introduced the paper £10 note featuring naturalist Charles Darwin on November 7, 2000. About 55 per cent of the £10 notes in circulation are made from polymer, while 359 million are paper. The new £10 banknote, featuring a picture of author Jane Austin, is the first Bank of England note with a tactile feature to help blind and partially-sighted users.

Like the £5 note already in circulation, the new £10 banknote is made from polymer, which is more durable and expected to last five years in total.