England police launch crackdown on illegal number plates

The Department for Transport is funding the National Roads Policing Coordination Centre (NRPCC) to launch a nationwide crackdown on illegal number plates across England. This initiative aims to target drivers evading fines and organized crime gangs using obscured plates to bypass speeding, parking, or clean air zone penalties.

Police forces will collaborate through the NRPCC to share intelligence and data. The operation includes trialing new technologies, such as specialized goggles designed to detect number plates that criminals have rendered unreadable to standard cameras. These tactics are part of a broader Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade, intended to improve road safety and reduce crime.

In addition to targeting plate tampering, the NRPCC is coordinating enhanced activities regarding drug driving, vehicle crime, and links between driving offenses and violence against women and girls (VAWG).