New ANPR camera trials in south‑east England have detected thousands of illegal registration plates, including cloned and reflective "ghost" plates that can fool many systems. Tests by MAV Systems flagged hundreds to thousands of detections per site each day, while undercover reporting confirmed ghost plates can be bought quickly and cheaply without proper checks. Authorities say the plates endanger the public and hamper policing; the DVLA and government plan stronger enforcement and a national centre to coordinate action.
‘Ghost’ And Cloned Number Plates Exposed As New ANPR Trials Detect Thousands Daily
Graham Slinn was killed in a crash involving a driver using illegal plates [BBC]
New trials of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras on motorways in south‑east England have identified thousands of illegal vehicle registration plates, BBC Panorama has found. These include cloned plates that duplicate another vehicle's registration and so‑called "ghost" plates made from materials that appear normal to the eye but are unreadable to many ANPR systems.
How The Problem Works
Cloned plates show the same letters and numbers as a legitimate vehicle, allowing offenders to hide their identity by using another car's registration. Ghost plates, by contrast, use specially manufactured reflective plastics that defeat most motorway cameras while appearing lawful to passers‑by.
[BBC]
What The Trials Found
MAV Systems, a major ANPR technology provider, has been testing a new camera designed to detect and read ghost plates. At a trial site near the Dartford Crossing the system recorded an average of more than 1,000 ghost plates per day over several months. Two other long‑running sites recorded rising detections: near the M25 daily flags climbed from about 1,000 to nearly 2,000, and a site near the Eurotunnel at Folkestone flagged more than 400 ghost plates a day.
Human Cost And Criminal Cases
Families affected by collisions linked to illegal plates say the tactic emboldens risky driving. Sharon Gannon told Panorama her son, Jason Wallis, was killed in Buckinghamshire in 2023 after his motorcycle collided with a car; the driver was unharmed. Jason had been riding with Lewis Baker, who admitted in court using a device to hide his plate and was jailed for 15 months for dangerous driving. "It has broken us all," Gannon said.
In the UK it is easy to set up as a supplier of registered number plates [BBC]
In a separate 2025 case, 81‑year‑old Graham Slinn was killed on a pedestrian crossing by a car displaying cloned plates. The driver, Cain Byrne, was identified on CCTV—including footage of him fitting illegal plates—and was jailed for 11 years and six months for causing death by dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance. Slinn's daughter, Nicola Timmis, told Panorama: "It is not a victimless crime."
Supply, Enforcement And Responses
The UK has one of the largest ANPR networks in the world—around 14,000 camera sites capture an estimated 100 million number plates each day—but experts warn it is struggling to keep up with evasion tactics. There are more than 34,000 businesses registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to supply plates; registration requires a short form and a one‑off fee.
A police officer shows evidence of "ghost" numbers and letters stocked at this West Midlands garage [BBC]
Panorama's undercover filming at a market in Essex showed how easily ghost plates can be bought: two out of three suppliers approached offered ghost plates, and on one occasion a plate was purchased for £40 in cash and handed over within eight minutes without any ID check. Buying a ghost plate is not illegal in itself, but fitting one to a vehicle and driving is against the law.
A Freedom of Information response revealed that only two suppliers have been prosecuted and removed from the DVLA register since 2020, and the DVLA has just six officers tasked with inspecting and auditing the thousands of registered suppliers. The DVLA says it is "cleaning up the register, strengthening compliance and enforcement" and is working with police and Trading Standards to tackle suppliers who break the rules.
Enforcement In The Field
Panorama joined police and DVLA officers at a roadside operation between Birmingham and West Bromwich. Specialist infrared goggles that mimic ANPR camera vision identified a van fitted with a ghost plate; the driver received a £100 fine and said he had not realised the plate was illegal. Officers visited a supplier and, when viewing stock through the goggles, found ghost plates and ghost letters stored separately—a factor police said suggested intent. The supplier received a warning letter; a prosecution remains under consideration.
Tony Porter, a former senior counter‑terrorism officer who advised government on surveillance cameras: "The police need an effective ANPR system that doesn't have weaknesses [and] doesn't put the public at risk."
Next Steps
Chief Constable Tim Forber, the national policing lead on ANPR, and other police leaders are calling for tighter licensing and regulation of number‑plate suppliers. The minister responsible for vehicle registration, Justin Madders, said the government is creating a national centre to assess the scale of illegal plates, improve intelligence sharing between forces and trial new technologies to boost road safety and disrupt organised crime. "I don't think we can rule anything in or out at this stage," he said.
Additional reporting: NJ Convery
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