New crackdown on speed cheats

Jan 30 2008 By Gurdip Thandi

POLICE in Staffordshire are cracking down on drivers who use illegal number plates to thwart speed cameras.

Operation Larch is currently being run across the county until February 3.

The nationwide enforcement campaign follows concern by police, and partner agencies the Department for Transport and DVLA, at the growing use of unlawful registration plates by motorists attempting to confuse cameras and Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology.

Registration marks for all vehicles must comply with regulations which specify the typeface, size, colour and British Standard for plates.

It is an offence to alter or re-arrange letters or numbers in a way that makes it difficult to read them.

Characters must not be moved from one block to another and italics, customised fonts or alterations using tape or bolts are not allowed.

Offences may lead to a fixed penalty notice or a fine of up to £1,000 in court. The registration mark may be withdrawn by the DVLA and a vehicle may fail its MoT.

Operation Larch is being coordinated in Staffordshire by the force's Road Crime Team and will involve checks by uniformed officers across all the division.

ANPR cameras will be deployed during the campaign and officers will also catch offences on digital camera.

Checks will be carried out on vehicles and their drivers to establish links to any other crimes.

Insp Chris Dawson, from the Road Crime Team, said: "It is believed that vehicles with illegal plates are more likely to be connected to serious crime.

"Offenders may have tampered with a number plate to avoid detection by roadside cameras, or they may use more sophisticated measures such as stolen or false plates to clone vehicles.

"Operation Larch is part of our ongoing commitment to target criminals through their use of the roads." n More details about number plate regulations are available at www.dvla.gov.uk