IF you pop into a bank in Bolton you may be lucky enough to get hold of a new five pound note.

The little piece of currency has received a big makeover at the hand of the Bank of England.

Printed on polymer, the new note is hailed as safer, stronger and cleaner than its old counterpart.

The smaller banknotes — which are reduced in size by 15 percent — feature former Prime Minister Winston Churchill and 440 million are now in circulation.

It took £70 million to research, develop and print the fivers and took 140 employees and six years in the making before it reached the public's pockets.

The Bank of England's Governor Mark Carney said: "The new fiver, made of polymer, will be cleaner, safer and stronger.

"Resistant to dirt and moisture, it will stay in good condition for longer. The new security features make it harder to counterfeit. While 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.

"We expect polymer notes to last at least two-and-a-half times longer than the current generation of fivers and therefore reduce future costs of production."

It is claimed the notes are resistant to dirt and moisture, and last around 2.5 times longer than paper — even being able to handle getting chewed up by pets or machinery.

Bank scientists put them to the test, making counterfeits to see how easily they could be copied, as well as sticking them in washing machines and bombarding them with grit.

While we do not have a washing machine in the Bolton News or Bury Times offices we decided to see if the new fiver could face up to some simple challenges.

First off was the rip challenge — could this little note hold together if pulled and twisted?

Despite applying some serious pressure around the edges, it refused to tear but did come out looking a little wrinkled around the edges.

It was in for the water treatment next where the note had to suffer being dunked in a jug of cold water.

Surprisingly it managed to float contentedly in the jug and when out could be wiped dry and look as good as new!

So it appears, for now, the new note is proving it is worth the money it is printed on.