A new nationwide crackdown on illegal number plates is being launched to target drivers attempting to evade fines and organised crime gangs using vehicles to move illegal goods.
The Department for Transport is funding a new roads policing team, the National Roads Policing Coordination Centre (NRPCC), which will bring together police forces from across England to share intelligence, improve collaboration and make better use of data.
The team will also trial new technology designed to detect number plates that criminals have deliberately made difficult for cameras to read.
This includes specialised goggles that can identify number plates where attempts have been made to make them unreadable to automatic number plate recognition systems.
Illegal number plates are used in a range of ways, including to evade speeding, parking and clean air zone penalties. They can also be linked to more serious criminal activity, including organised crime and the movement of illegal goods.
Vehicles deliberately concealed from number plate recognition systems can be more difficult for police to identify when they are stolen or linked to serious offences.
The Government says improving the detection of illegal number plates will help police track down offenders more quickly, while making roads and communities safer.
Roads Minister Justin Madders said: “We’re cracking down on illegal number plates with new policing resource and innovative tech.
“Illegal number plates are used for crimes from evading parking charges to drug trafficking and we’re stepping in to protect drivers.
“This is a signal to anyone using illegal number plates that their time is up. We will catch you and our roads and streets will be safer for it.”
Illegal number plates can take a number of forms, including:
- Cloned plates – where a vehicle uses a registration belonging to another legitimate vehicle.
- ‘Ghost plates’ – where transparent film or other methods are used to make a registration difficult for cameras to detect.
- Missing plates – where a vehicle is being driven without a number plate.
Drivers using an incorrectly displayed number plate can face a fine of up to £1,000.
Chief Superintendent Marc Clothier, Deputy National Coordinator for the NRPCC, said the new approach would help police tackle road safety risks and criminality.
He said: “Through the National Roads Policing Coordination Centre, our mission is to tackle the biggest risks to road safety, enhancing and developing the police response to criminality both on and off the roads.”
Policing and Crime Minister Sarah Jones said illegal number plates were “not a victimless offence”.
She said: “They are used by criminals to avoid detection, move illegal goods and stay one step ahead of law enforcement.
“By bringing forces together and making better use of technology and intelligence, this new team will help police track down offenders faster and disrupt organised crime groups that rely on our road network.”
The Government is also considering further measures through its Road Safety Strategy, the first in more than a decade.
The strategy has included consultation on stronger penalties for drivers using illegal number plates, a review of number plate standards and improvements to enforcement.
The initiative builds on existing work by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), which are working with police to improve the identification and enforcement of illegal number plates.
This includes supporting investigations into businesses suspected of being involved in the illegal supply of number plates, as well as assisting police with roadside operations.
