An event to raise money for patients has been hit by forgeries.

The Maidstone Hospital League of Friends’ annual summer fete should have raised just over £4,000.

But, when volunteers went to bank the £4,040 takings on Monday, they discovered that £220 of the money was in fake £20 notes.

League of Friends chairman Brenda Bonnert said: "We have lost just over £200; it’s just a dead loss.

"It is such a despicable thing to do really. It is bad enough to do this but to do it to a charity is even worse."

"It looks like it was an organised thing – we were targeted. This happened to us a number of years ago with £10 notes.

Full report in Friday's Kent Messenger.