How criminals use 'ghost plates' to travel UK undetected
BBCA "substantial number" of criminals are using number plates that traffic cameras cannot read to help them evade the law.
That's according to a former police officer, who says so-called "ghost plates" have been used by individuals involved in "violence against young women and girls, people smuggling, drug smuggling and other forms of organised criminality".
A reflective coating on the plates ensures they cannot be read by police Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems.
This is allowing criminals to travel the country without detection, commit traffic offences and avoid road charges and fines.
Former British Transport Police officer Chris Shepherd, now working for ANPR camera manufacturer MAV Systems, said new cameras had been developed that were better able to identify vehicles.
The technology allows police to "make sure that people becoming a scourge to society and our roads are identified", he told BBC Radio Kent.
This is on top of road users "trying to avoid road charging mechanisms or parking fees" with ghost plates.
According to a report by cross-party MPs and Lords in December, it is estimated as many as one in 15 vehicles on UK roads have modified, non-compliant plates.
The group raised concerns about there being nearly 35,000 different number plate suppliers in the UK and that some suppliers had been found "with serious and violent criminal records".
Sarah Coombes MP, a member of the group, said she was campaigning for a crackdown.
"It allows people to race around past speed cameras and go undetected," she told the BBC.
"But it also allows people who are dealing drugs, doing serious crimes, to go undetected on police cameras."
The West Bromwich MP said "this number plate selling system is a Wild West" and the government needed to "tighten up the rules around selling number plates".
Recommendations from parliamentarians included standardising the design of registration plates, criminal record checks for suppliers and compliance checks as part of the MOT.
The Department for Transport announced tougher punishments were planned for ghost plate users in its road safety strategy in January.
A government spokesperson said: "We have consulted on proposals for tougher penalties for driving with illegal plates, reviewing the standards for number plates and better enforcement.
"These consultations have now closed, and we are carefully considering the substantial number of responses we received before announcing next steps."
What are ghost plates?
- Also known as stealth plates, they are illegally altered vehicle licence plates used for avoiding speed and enforcement cameras.
- They can look normal but use reflective sprays, transparent films or slight character modifications to confuse ANPR software.
- While it is legal to purchase the plates, it is a criminal offence to use them on a vehicle on public roads.
- Motorists caught using an illegal number plate can expect to be issued with a £100 fine.
Source: RAC, Chartered Trading Standards Institute
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