Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Bank of England agrees public debate on tallow in new currency notes

THE Bank of England has said it will launch a full public consultation ahead of the proposed new £20 polymer banknotes following the controversy over the use of tallow in the new £5 notes.

In a letter last Wednesday (15), Victoria Cleland, the chief cashier and director of notes at the Bank of England, told Hindu faith leaders that the bank will “continue with the proposed launch of the new £10 polymer banknotes in September 2017, using the existing polymer substrate”.


However, following concerns among some Hindus about the use of animal derived products in the new notes, the bank said it would launch a public consultation on the “contents of the polymer substrate to be used in any future reprints of both the £5 and £10 polymer banknotes, and the proposed new £20 polymer banknotes”.

The polymer £5 notes were unveiled in September, with the Bank of England extolling the new banknotes for being waterproof and having enhanced security features.

But it came come under fire for using tallow, a product derived from animal fats, in the polymer pellets used to make the £5 notes.

Tallow is derived from animal fats (suet) and is also widely used in the manufacture of candles and soap.

Vegans, vegetarians, Hindus, Sikhs and Jains were among those who protested against the use of tallow in the notes.

Representatives from the Hindu community met Cleland earlier this month and explained their concerns over the new notes.

They said some Hindu temples across the UK had banned the use of the new £5 note as donations and offering to deities inside the temple.

Following their meeting, Cleland said assured the group in her letter last week that the bank will work with suppliers to explore using alternative substrates to produce polymer notes.

Radha Mohan Das of Bhaktivedanta Manor said: “We are both shocked and saddened to receive news that the Bank of England have already printed £10 notes containing tallow.

“As a temple community our ethos is non-violence. As such we stopped accepting the new £5 notes which, in turn, impacted the donations we depend on. Now with news of the £10 note, we will have to review our stance on banning tallow notes. We find ourselves having to choose between compromising our core religious principles and spiritual values or suffering significant financial losses.

“We do welcome the bank’s planned consultation and understand that the costs of correcting the oversight are deemed unacceptable. Currency must be acceptable to all, therefore there is no question, it must be free from animal products,” he said.

More For You

Thunderstorms to Hit East & South-East England; Met Office

The warning indicates a high risk of disruption

Getty Images

Thunderstorms to hit East and South-East England as Met Office issues amber warning

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for thunderstorms across parts of eastern and south-eastern England, in effect from 20:00 BST on Friday to 05:00 on Saturday. The affected area spans from Eastbourne in East Sussex to Cromer in north Norfolk.

The warning indicates a high risk of disruption, with flash flooding, power cuts, and hazardous travel conditions expected. The Met Office warns that flooding of homes and businesses is likely, and delays or cancellations to bus and rail services are possible due to surface water and lightning strikes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Crime boss who posed as male escort jailed for £20m cocaine plot

Shergill and his accomplices were arrested on different dates in 2020

Photo for representation (iStock)

Crime boss who posed as male escort jailed for £20m cocaine plot

THE head of an organised crime group who claimed he was a male escort while masterminding an international operation to import cocaine into the UK has been sentenced to 21 years and three months in jail.

Kulvir Shergill, 43, from the West Midlands, told National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators he made a living through male escort bookings, teaching martial arts and working as a personal trainer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Major Delays on M62 After Lorry Crash and Fuel Spill

Motorists are being advised to expect significant disruption

National Highways

Major delays on M62 after lorry crash causes fuel spill

Drivers are facing long delays on the M62 following a lorry crash near Warrington that led to a significant fuel spill on the carriageway.

The incident occurred when the lorry struck railings on a bridge on the A49 Newton Road, causing fuel to leak onto the motorway below. As a result, the M62 has been closed in both directions within junction 9, and the junction 8 eastbound entry slip road is also shut.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air-India-Phuket-Reuters

A view shows Air India flight AI 379 that had to make an emergency landing back at Phuket Airport, due to a note of a bomb threat discovered mid-air, in Phuket, Thailand, June 13, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)

Bomb threat forces Air India flight back to Thai island

AN AIR INDIA flight from Phuket, Thailand to New Delhi returned to the Thai island on Friday after a bomb threat was discovered on board, according to Thailand’s airports authority.

The flight had taken off from Phuket and was en route to India when the pilot reported a possible threat and made an emergency landing.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash

Debris of Air India flight 171 is pictured after it crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad on June 13, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Air India crash: Black box found as India investigates London-bound flight disaster

INVESTIGATORS have recovered the black box from the site of Thursday’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad, where a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London’s Gatwick airport went down shortly after takeoff, killing at least 265 people, including those on the ground.

The aircraft issued a mayday call shortly before crashing into a residential area around lunchtime. The plane had barely lifted 100 metres from the ground before it came down, with its tailpiece left protruding from the second floor of a hostel for medical staff from a nearby hospital.

Keep ReadingShow less