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Police seize another private hire ‘GHOST PLATE’ from vehicle warning drivers to get theirs checked if in doubt
Police have seized another suspected “ghost plate” from a vehicle during enforcement activity in the Avon and Somerset area.
An image shared by PC Patrick Quinton, Avon and Somerset Police’s Taxi Cop, showed a red Toyota Corolla with the rear registration plate obscured.
PC Quinton said: “Another ghost plate found and seized today.”
He added: “If you are in any doubt if your plate is road-legal do come and see me. Have a safe shift.”
“Ghost plates” are illegal number plates designed or altered to make a vehicle’s registration difficult for enforcement cameras to read. This can involve reflective or transparent films that interfere with automatic number plate recognition systems, while leaving the registration more visible to the human eye.
Drivers have been using them to avoid speed and traffic enforcement, parking charges, tolls or clean-air zone fees. Police also warn that illegal plates can be used to conceal vehicles involved in wider criminal activity. Their use does not necessarily reveal the motive in any individual case, with some drivers even unaware that they are attached when buying a second hand vehicle.
Drivers displaying an incorrectly formatted plate can be fined up to £1,000.
