Briefly: Warning over stolen cheques

WOOLWICH Building Society has reminded the public that building society cheques should not be treated as cash in the wake of the theft of 50 Woolwich cheques from the society's Catford branch in south-east London.

Cheques in the stolen batch - serial numbers 151901 to 151950 - have so far been used to buy cars. The cheques are all in the old format, using the name of Woolwich Equitable Building Society.

The society warned: 'If a cheque is given, payees should in every case wait for it to clear before exchanging goods.'