Overview
- A Daily Mail reporter purchased plates from DVLA-registered sellers without ownership checks, demonstrating weak compliance by suppliers.
- Laboratory analysis at Cranfield University found characters on one set turned transparent under infrared, making them largely unreadable to ANPR at night.
- The DVLA said it will investigate the named suppliers and confirmed a review of number plate standards with the stated aim of banning ANPR-defeating designs.
- Parliamentary findings cited around 34,455 authorised sellers and only five or six DVLA auditors, highlighting gaps in vetting and enforcement.
- Police and MPs warned of criminal use and security risks and called for an explicit ban on 3D/4D plates, tougher penalties and tighter controls on sellers; the Mail reported an estimate of up to one in 15 cars using ghost plates.