NEW polymer £5 notes went into circulation today with Swindon’s Piper’s Way branch of Nationwide being one of the first places in the UK to stock them.

Employees at the building society's head offices in Swindon got the chance to inspect the new notes, which feature wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill and are promised to be tougher and more durable than the old ones.

Peter Souster, Nationwide Croft senior branch manager, said: “It’s been really interesting this morning in the branch as we’ve had lots of people pop in since we opened to get hold of the new polymer £5 notes.

“We were really excited to hear that we’d be one of the first Nationwide branches to have the notes in general circulation, and it’s been great to see just how interested our customers are in the new notes.”

Mike Pitcher, the Nationwide employee who demonstrated the notes, said: “It’s always handy to have a fiver in your wallet, so it’s great that I could easily get one at Nationwide House.

“Given the number of people I’ve seen holding the new £5 note today, it’s clear that the launch of the new polymer note has generated a huge amount of interest in the local area.”

It is thought that 34 per cent of people in the South West have ended up with wet banknotes after accidentally putting them through the washing machine, with a number resorting to drying them with a hairdryer.

Over a quarter are estimated to have lost notes as a result of pulling them out of a pocket unnoticed and 28 per cent admitted they had torn paper cash and had to repair it with tape.

The new note is designed to address these issues and is predicted to last two and a half times longer than the old fivers.

Phil Smith, Nationwide’s head of current accounts, said: “Brits have a soft spot for a £5 note and Nationwide issued over 56m five pound notes from our cash machines in 2015 alone.

“From the experiences our research has unearthed, the launch of the new polymer note could help counteract many awkward situations, where notes have been washed or torn by accident, as well as contributing to the ongoing battle against counterfeiting, and we look forward to dispensing many new fivers to our customers in the years to come.”

“Our research also provides a timely reminder that customers should never carry PIN numbers with their bank cards – and should do all they can to protect the many rich sources of personal information they carry in their wallets and purses every day.”

Sharron Ashman, Nationwide customer representative at Swindon Croft, said: “It’s been great to have the polymer £5 notes at our branch this morning.

“I spoke to a lot of people who were getting notes out to show their children, or wanted to be able to hold the new note in their hand. It’s all been very exciting.”