MP demands clampdown on 'ghost' number plates

Sarah Coombes, who represents West Bromwich, wants the penalties increased to tackle illegal licence plates which are being used by some motorists to run red lights and ignore speed limits.

Motorists can buy so-called 'ghost' or 'stealth' plates for as little as £30. They reflect light back, preventing the registration number from being clearly seen by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.

The Labour MP wants the fine for being caught with a non-compliant number plate increased to £1,000 and at least six penalty points.

Currently, drivers caught with one can be fined £100. That compares to the minimum penalty for speeding which is a £100 fine and three penalty points.

"There are a select minority of people who think they are above the law. The behaviour of a few reckless drivers is putting us all at risk. The punishments need to be tougher," she said.

The scale of number plate misuse is unclear but one estimate suggests around 1 in 15 plates could be modified in some way.

One police exercise conducted in London found that 40% of taxi and private hire vehicles had coatings applied to their plates that made them unreadable to ANPR cameras.

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."

Ms Coombes is putting forward her plan in the Commons on Wednesday using a 10-minute rule motion. But unless it gets government support the idea is unlikely to progress into law.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, said: "Drivers manipulating their number plates in any way is a serious offence.

"While steps are needed to tackle the root cause of the problem, some feel that a lack of traffic police increases their chances of getting away with such activity."

A government spokesperson said: "This government takes road safety seriously. We are committed to reducing the number of those killed and injured on our roads.

"Since the general election, the Labour government has begun work on a new road safety strategy, the first in over a decade. Ministers will share more details of the strategy in due course."

-SKY NEWS