UK government funds England roads-policing centre targeting illegal plates

The Department for Transport says it is funding a National Roads Policing Coordination Centre to target illegal number plates and organised crime on England's road network.

The government says the centre will bring police forces from around England together to share intelligence, improve collaboration and make better use of data. It says the work will include trials of technology such as goggles intended to detect plates made unreadable to cameras.

According to the release, illegal plates can be used to evade speeding, parking and clean-air-zone penalties, and can make it harder for police to trace vehicles linked to theft or serious crime. The Department for Transport lists cloned plates, 'ghost plates' obscured with transparent film and missing plates among the forms it is targeting.

The release says a driver using an incorrectly displayed number plate can face a fine of up to £1,000. It also says DVSA and DVLA are working with police on identifying illegal plates, including investigations into businesses that supply them and roadside operations.

Chief Superintendent Marc Clothier, deputy national coordinator for the centre, said the Department for Transport funding gives an opportunity to support road safety and roads policing across the UK through greater coordination, consistency, collaboration and communication.

What this means for Wales

The announced centre is described as bringing together police forces from around England. Its deputy national coordinator nevertheless says the funding could support road policing across the UK. The release does not set out a Wales-specific operational change, so any practical effect for Welsh road users or forces remains to be specified.