A STUNNED barber thought he'd struck it rich after a well-travelled customer handed him a tip for a whopping 100 TRILLION DOLLARS � until he discovered the bank note isn't worth the paper it is written on.

Vincent Evangelista could barely believe his eyes when the businessman gave him the note for 100,000,000,000,000 Zimbabwean dollars.But the barber soon found out that the currency from the crisis-torn African country � which has been hit by years of hyperinflation � is worthless.

Around a year ago, the massive note would only have been worth �20 � but today it holds NO VALUE at all after the currency was suspended by President Robert Mugabe's regime.

Vincent, who runs the popular Evangelista barber shop in Inchinnan Road, Renfrew, admits he had a fleeting thought of hanging up his scissors.That was until he realised he wasn't filthy rich after all.

"It's the biggest tip that I've ever been given," said 27-year-old Vincent.

"It's just a shame that it's not worth the paper it's written on.

"If it had been a note for US dollars, I could have retired, paid off the national debt and bought everyone a Christmas present with the change.

"I could have brought an end to the credit crunch in an instant."

After seeing his dreams of a life on �Trillionaire Row' dashed, Vincent was still able to see the funny side of it all.

To read the complete article, see:Barber thought he had struck the right note(www.paisleydailyexpress.co.uk/renfrewshire-news/2009/12/21/barber-thought-he-had-struck-the-right-note-87085-25425113/)