First plastic banknotes enters circulation in England and Wales

The Bank of England introduced its first plastic banknotes on Tuesday, with a new five pound entering circulation in England and Wales featuring World War Two leader Winston Churchill. "The use of polymer means it can better withstand being repeatedly folded into wallets or scrunched up inside pockets and can also survive a spin in the washing machine", BoE Governor Mark Carney said in a statement. Scotland has had a limited amount of its own plastic five pound notes in circulation since March 2