This is the moment a group of 'cack-handed' counterfeit fraudsters were caught trying to buy £3 worth of biscuits with a fake £20 note they made using A4 paper and a colour printer.

Durai McFarlane, 20, was arrested alongside his friends Dwaine Graham, 22, and Joshua Dunwell, 19, after they tried to use the home-made 'money' to purchase goods at Millie's Cookies in Cabot Circus, Bristol.

Bristol Crown Court heard how the trio were immediately caught after the shop assistant realised the currency was fake, with the judge describing the case one of the most 'cack-handed' attempts of counterfeiting imaginable.

CCTV footage shows the moment Dwaine Graham, 22, tries to buy £3 worth of biscuits with a fake £20 note at Millie's Cookies in Cabot Circus, Bristol. He is accompanied by friends Durai McFarlane and Joshua Dunwell

A camera operator used Cabot Circus's CCTV to follow Dunwell (left), Graham (centre) and McFarlane (right) after the incident. The trio were later arrested and police found them in possession of the counterfeit money

The court heard how police found Graham with several bank notes that had been created on a colour printer on A4 paper, and later discovered printing equipment at McFarlane's home.

James Haskell, prosecuting, told the court how CCTV footage captured the moment the three men went into the Millie's Cookies store in Cabot Circus shopping precinct on August 5 last year.

Mr Haskell said Graham was later identified in the footage as the man wearing red, while Dunwell was wearing a cap and McFarlane had a dark jumper on.

He said: 'Graham handed over a counterfeit note. They required £3 worth of items.

'A £20 note was handed over and the lady behind the counter immediately realised it was counterfeit and all three left.'

When Graham was arrested he was found to have another two counterfeit £20 notes on him, Mr Haskell said.

Dunwell and McFarlane were then arrested and police found a printing device at McFarlane's home.

Mr Haskell told the court: 'It had sheets of paper in the process of printing £20 notes, and a counterfeit £10 and £50 note.

'An expert from the Bank of England confirmed they were counterfeit.'

All defendants were said to have come from troubled backgrounds, the court heard.

CCTV shows a police officer searching Graham after the incident at Cabot Circus shopping precinct, Bristol

Derek Perry, defending Dunwell, said: 'The offending was borne out of stupidity. It was stupid, childish, impulsive behaviour.

'The notes were simply scanned and copied. My client's involvement was being in town with a friend who had one note. He stood to gain a biscuit.'

McFarlane, of Bristol, pleaded guilty to having counterfeit currency and received a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, with a year-long supervision order.

Graham, also from Bristol, pleaded guilty to tendering and having counterfeit currency and received a nine-month suspended jail sentence and was ordered to carry out 100 hours' unpaid work.

The notes were simply scanned and copied. My client's involvement was being in town with a friend who had one note. He stood to gain a biscuit Derek Perry, defending Dunwell

Dunwell, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to tendering counterfeit currency and was also found guilty of robbing a pizza delivery driver.

The court heard how Dunwell, and a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, robbed a Domino's Pizza delivery driver as he tried to take food to an address linked to the youth.

Dunwell received a 22-month sentence in youth custody, but has now been released after serving his time while remanded in custody.

The court heard how the 16-year-old boy involved in robbing the pizza delivery driver was also convicted of robbing another man of his bicycle and mobile phone.

Mr Haskell said the youth and 18-year-old Aaron Steadman pleaded guilty to the offence after the judge was told how the youngster produced a blade at the victim and told him: 'You know what is going to happen'.

Steadman received 18 months, suspended for two years with 12 months' supervision, 120 hours' unpaid work and anger management training.