The old paper £10 note featuring Charles Darwin expires tonight.

Figures released by the Bank of England last week suggested that there was still £2.2bn worth of the old paper £10 notes in circulation, representing around 27pc of the total number of notes issued.

From midnight on March 1, only the polymer £10 notes featuring Jane Austen, introduced in September, will be legal tender.

However, while the old notes will not be accepted in shops and other businesses, it will still be possible for Charles Darwin notes to be exchanged at the Bank of England for free, either by post or in person.