The Nottingham Evening Post has exposed lapses in credit card security at four major city stores.

"D. Duck" was the signature used by consumer affairs correspondent Kevin Peachey to sign credit card slips at Boots, Dixons, Asda and Marks & Spencer… and no one noticed.

He said: "Each time I provided the signature 'D. Duck' instead of my own, which was clearly signed on the back of the card. It should have been easy to spot but each time I left unchallenged with my purchases.

"To my surprise, till staff completed the sale and I left unchallenged every time.

"Staff at Boots and Dixons did not check the signature, even though there was no queue when I visited.

"Employees at Asda and Marks & Spencer did study my scrawl, but still accepted the sales.

"At M &S, the shop assistant delayed for a second when she studied the signature and I thought she had spotted the discrepancy. But then she accepted the payment and apologised, saying she'd had a long day."

He said that despite spending three-figure sums in some stores, he was only picking up holiday snaps at Boots - but said it was the bigger picture caused alarm.

Kevin said: "The till had been quiet, there was no queue and I was not in a rush.

"The same luxury is unlikely to be afforded to most shop assistants in the run-up to Christmas and during the January sales."

The Post's experiment raised questions about how stores should tackle more elaborate fraud during the Christmas rush when tens of thousands of shoppers are spending on credit and debit cards.

All four stores apologised when the Post contacted them and said that staff receive training in such areas.

Do you have a story about the regional press? Ring 0116 227 3122/3121, or
e-mail pastill@nep.co.uk