Holmfirth: Father and son sentenced over £900k cash forgery ring

Police uncovered a variety of fake notes, including forged English and Scottish currency

A father and son who admitted running a "sophisticated and lucrative" fake money operation worth nearly £1m in West Yorkshire have been sentenced.

Police found piles of fake banknotes and a cannabis farm at the home of Christopher Gaunt, 58, in Holmfirth.

Gaunt, and son Jordan, 27, also from Holmfirth, pleaded guilty to making fake money with intent to supply.

Christopher Gaunt was jailed for six and a half years, while his son was handed a two-year suspended sentence.

Leeds Crown Court had heard that a joint investigation between West Yorkshire Police and the National Counterfeit Currency Unit at the National Crime Agency had been launched in 2020.

Christopher Gaunt was subsequently arrested on October 8 that year, before his home on Bank Street and another property were searched.

The raid uncovered £200,000 of notes almost ready to ship, according to West Yorkshire Police.

Christopher Gaunt was sentenced to six and a half years in jail for his role in the fake money operation

Officers also found "large amounts of kit" used for making copies of older style paper bank notes, the force said.

In a raid at another site in nearby Scissett, dyes and printers used to make the fake notes were found.

Gaunt's son was arrested afterwards and officers realised the pair had the materials used to produce around £977,000 of forged paper bank notes for sale to criminals, police said.

Christopher Gaunt later pleaded guilty to making counterfeit currency with intent to supply, producing a controlled drug and possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply.

Jordan Gaunt, of Sheffield Road, Holmfirth, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply and making counterfeit currency with intent to supply.

In one raid in Holmfirth, police found fake banknotes, printers and ink

Speaking after the pair's sentencing on 13 December, Det Insp Simon Reddington said: "There is no doubt this 'cash' was being used to fund crime in communities.

"It is a good thing for residents this supply chain has been broken."

Meanwhile, PC Connor, from Kirklees Proceeds of Crime Team, said: "Christopher and Jordan Gaunt masterminded a sophisticated and clearly very lucrative counterfeit currency ring from within the heart of a small West Yorkshire tourist town."

The fake currency "was clearly intended to go straight into the pockets of organised criminals", PC Connor added.