Ghost number plates are allowing criminals and terrorists to travel undetected

Ghost number plates are a threat to UK national security, enabling criminals and even terrorists to travel around the country undetected – that’s the verdict of a new report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety (APPGTS) which is calling for urgent reform surrounding number plate laws.

According to the APPGTS’ findings, as many as one in 15 vehicles display a non-compliant number plate – many of which are so-called ‘ghost or ‘cloned’ plates, which can avoid detection by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras by displaying either someone else’s registration, or by coating the plate itself in a film which reflects infrared light from the camera, effectively blinding it as it snaps a photo.

As part of the inquiry which led to the publication of the report, National Trading Standards (NTS) called ghost plates a “serious threat to counter-terrorism operations”. 

“Vehicles with stealth plates can bypass surveillance systems around critical infrastructure such as airports, government buildings and transport hubs,” an NTS spokesperson said. “This creates vulnerabilities that could be exploited by terrorist groups planning vehicle-borne attacks.”

Criminals are also able to use ghost plates to avoid paying things like speeding tickets, road tolls and the London Congestion Charge. Those using cloned plates instead put their unknowing victim in the firing line, with the owner of the original registration potentially having to foot the bill for charges and fines.

Head of uninsured driving prevention at the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, Martin Saunders, explained ghost number plates can also help uninsured hit-and-run drivers avoid justice.

“The increasing damage done by drivers of vehicles hiding in plain sight on our road system should not be tolerated,” Saunders said. “There is an urgent need for a partnership approach to implement the recommendations made in this report to make our road system safer, and ensure every vehicle is able to be quickly and readily be identified by the number plate it exhibits.”

In the UK, number plate suppliers must be registered and approved by the DVLA. However, the report found that many of the nation’s over 34,000 approved suppliers were working out of rudimentary homes, garages and workshops with no background checks in place. Some were even found to have serious criminal records, including a history of violent acts and fraud.

Labour MP for West Bromwich and APPGTS member, Sarah Coombes, claimed the current system is “failing” and said the “explosive report lays bare the threat posed by ghost and cloned plates”. 

She added: “It’s totally wrong that people can commit terrible crimes and then set themselves up as number plate sellers with no questions asked. Those selling these illegal plates have gone under the radar for too long – but now they’ve been rumbled.”

The APPGTS recommends that the Government overhauls the entire number plate system by standardising design and banning vanity plates such as 3D and 4D designs. This, under the APPGTS’s proposals, would be enforced and checked at every MoT test, while fines would be increased and the police given the power to seize the vehicles of repeat offenders.

As for the suppliers, the APPGTS suggests the introduction of annual DVLA licence fees, as well as background and regular audit checks. This all remains a proposal for now, though, because an official parliamentary bill would need to be drafted and subsequently debated and voted upon in order to gain Royal Assent and become law.

Michael Flanagan, the chairman of the British Number Plate Manufacturers Association, said: “‘The BNMA will support the proposed level of regulation during and after its implementation by providing compliant resources and enhancing its guidance to outlets, authorities, and the public, thereby safeguarding public safety through a secure and regulated supply system.”

Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express? We’ll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too.