New Camera System Reveals Thousands of Illegal 'Ghost Plates' on UK Roads
A BBC investigation found that a new camera system is detecting over a thousand illegal registration plates daily, raising concerns about public safety and criminal activity.
Thousands of illegal registration plates, designed to evade detection by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems, have been identified by a new camera system being tested on motorways in southeast England. These "ghost plates" and cloned plates pose a significant risk to public safety and are too easily obtained, according to a BBC Panorama investigation.
The UK operates one of the world's largest ANPR networks, with 14,000 sites capturing 100 million number plates daily. However, experts suggest this system is struggling to keep pace with drivers using tactics to avoid identification, which hampers efforts to enforce speed limits, track criminals, and manage low-emission zones.
At a test site near the Dartford Crossing, a new camera capable of reading ghost plates recorded an average of over 1,000 illegal plates per day over several months. Two other sites, operational for nearly two years, have seen daily detections rise to nearly 2,000 near the M25 and over 400 near Folkestone.
Devastating Consequences
Families affected by road deaths involving illegal plates shared their experiences. Sharon Gannon's son, Jason Wallis, died in a crash in 2023 where his brother-in-law used a device to hide his number plate. He admitted to high-speed riding over 100 times with Wallis. "It has broken us all," Gannon stated.
In another incident from 2025, 81-year-old Graham Slinn was killed by a car with cloned plates. The driver, Cain Byrne, who was also uninsured and unlicensed, was later jailed for 11 years and six months for causing death by dangerous driving.
Nicola Timmis, Slinn's daughter, described cloned plates as a "gateway drug" that emboldens drivers to take greater risks, emphasizing that "it is not a victimless crime."
The Nature of Ghost Plates
Cloned plates involve two vehicles sharing the same registration number, with only one being legal. Ghost plates, however, use special reflective materials that make the registration number unreadable to most ANPR cameras, though they appear normal to the naked eye. Tony Porter, a former senior counter-terrorism officer, highlighted that these plates undermine police efforts to track organized crime.
Porter noted the disparity between the security of passports and the lack of security features on a typical £10 number plate.
Ease of Acquisition and Enforcement Challenges
There are over 34,000 registered number plate suppliers in the UK, with new suppliers able to register easily. A Panorama investigation found that two out of three businesses approached at an Essex market offered ghost plates, with one selling a plate without asking for identification or proof of entitlement, as required by law. While purchasing a ghost plate is not illegal in itself, using one on a vehicle is.
Since 2020, only two number plate suppliers have been prosecuted and removed from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) register, with only six DVLA officers responsible for auditing thousands of suppliers. The DVLA stated it is "cleaning up the register, strengthening compliance and enforcement" and collaborating with police and Trading Standards.
National Response
During a roadside operation with police and the DVLA, officers stopped a van displaying a ghost plate. The driver received a £100 fine, claiming ignorance of the plate's illegality. An inspection of the plate supplier's premises revealed ghost plates and separate ghost letters and numbers, suggesting intentionality.
Chief Constable Tim Forber, the UK's policing lead on ANPR, noted that "not a week goes by" without instances of cloned plates being used in serious and organized crime, advocating for tighter licensing and regulation.
Justin Madders, the minister responsible for UK vehicle registration, acknowledged the problem and announced the creation of a national center to combat illegal number plates. This center will facilitate intelligence sharing among police forces and trial new technologies to enhance road safety, tackle organized crime, and address drivers evading fines. "I don't think we can rule anything in or out at this stage," Madders stated.