BRITAIN'S first plastic banknote was showcased – at Bury Market.

The new plastic £5 note, which is printed on a thin film called polymer, was shown to shoppers on Wednesday.

Visitors to the market were able to see and touch the new note which is a significant move away from the paper notes which have been used for more than 300 years.

The new fiver feels different to the notes currently in circulation and is 15 per cent smaller with a number of new security features.

The Bank of England is keen to make sure that the public are familiar with the note before it goes in to circulation on September 13 and Bury Market was the first place it was showcased. The new note is resistant to dirt and moisture which means that it will remain in better condition for longer.

It is expected that it will last two and half times longer than the current note.

It will feature Sir Winston Churchill on the front.

Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, said: "Our banknotes are repositories of the United Kingdom's collective memory and like Churchill, our new polymer notes will stand the test of time. The New Fiver, the first of the Bank's polymer notes, is cleaner, safer and stronger. It incorporates advanced security features making the notes even harder to counterfeit."

Paper £5 notes will be gradually withdrawn from circulation as they are banked by retailers and businesses. The public can continue to spend paper £5 notes as usual until May 2017 after which they will cease to be legal tender.