Overview
- West Midlands Police said the pilot used cutting‑edge technology to spot illegal or cloned registrations that standard cameras miss.
- The force reported 4,335 detections at a single location over two weeks, including 2,961 vehicles likely invisible to traditional ANPR.
- Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster called ghost plates a serious criminal enabler, with road policing chief Jack Hadley praising the joint operation.
- Authorities warn that cloned registrations can wrongly direct fines and licence points to innocent motorists.
- Councils have begun deploying similar tools, including previous trials in Wolverhampton, while some areas still issue £100 penalties and experts highlight ANPR vulnerabilities.