There is a concerning trend of rogue drivers getting away with illegal activities by using ‘ghost’ plates that are undetectable by police cameras, as reported to ministers recently.
It is estimated that around 1 in 15 UK plates could be modified in some way, although scale of misuse is still being calculated.
These criminals purchase these deceptive plates for a small sum of £30, allowing them to evade punishment for various offenses like disregarding traffic signals or committing other road violations. Surprisingly, the penalty for using these plates is only a £100 fine, which is less severe than the punishment for speeding.
But a Labour MP has urged ministers to crack down on those exploiting the system by imposing harsher measures on offenders.
To combat this issue, Sarah Coombes, a representative from West Bromwich, proposed a Ten Minute Rule Bill that aims to raise the fine to £1000 and enforce a minimum of six penalty points for offenders using ‘ghost’ plates. Additional measures such as seizing the vehicle or disqualifying the driver are also being considered as potential deterrents.
She told MPs yesterday: ‘There are some selfish people who use our roads as racetracks, who care nothing about risking other people’s lives, and who are evading capture by using dodgy ghost number plates.
‘They are being used on our roads, by people who want to speed around freely, run red lights, and do much worse.
‘It is illegal to use these plates, but the current consequences of being caught with one are far too insignificant. The drivers using ghost plates have gone under the radar for too long, but now they have been rumbled, and it is time to crack down on them.’
‘Ghost’ plates are modified number plates which police cameras cannot read, ministers were told last night (file image)
It is estimated that around 1 in 15 UK plates could be modified in some way (file image)Â
The plates cannot be picked up by ANPR cameras, allowing drivers to escape speeding tickets (file image)Â
Sarah Coombes (pictured), who represents West Bromwich, laid down a Ten Minute Rule Bill which could increase the fine to £1000 and force at least six penalty points on dodgy drivers
Plates are modified with reflective sprays, transparent films, or small changes to the characters to make police cameras blind. They can either be identified by special cameras currently being trialled by some councils or if officers inspect them closely after the offender is stopped.
Labour MP Paul Waugh, who is co-sponsoring the bill, added that the plates are ‘used by drug dealers, hit-and-run drivers, terrorists and other criminals to hide their identities from the police’.
One police exercise conducted in London found that 40 per cent of taxi and private hire vehicles had coatings applied to their plates that made them unreadable to Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.
There have also been cases where using false number plates have meant criminals can travel under the radar, facilitating organised crime and terrorism.
Tony Porter, the UK’s former surveillance camera commissioner, said: ‘’ANPR and the humble number plate is hot-wired into the UK’s road safety. If people think, by doctoring their plates, they can speed, drive without due care or without insurance to evade prosecution – then we need to remove this temptation. Innocent members of the public are being put at risk.’
Concerns around ghost plates plagued the previous Conservative government. Former Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner Professor Fraser Sampson raised his concerns over the issue in a 2023 resignation letter to Mark Harper, then the Transport Secretary, saying criminals were increasingly using it to ‘game the system’.
Stealth plates can be obtained freely on the internet. The website StealthPlate, where plates are available for as little as £45, instructs drivers not to use their products on public roads.
Ms Coombes’ Bill will be presented to MPs again on March 7. If it received government backing, it could end up as law.
