New cameras detect thousands of illegal ghost plates a day on UK roads
New cameras tested on UK roads are detecting thousands of suspected illegal ghost plates daily, as a Panorama investigation examines how drivers evade number plate rules.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
New cameras being tested on UK roads are detecting thousands of suspected illegal number plates every day. The plates, known as ghost plates, are designed to be hard for automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to read. They can look normal to the human eye but appear faded or incomplete under infrared light.
A Panorama investigation has examined the scale of the problem. The UK's ANPR network captures around 100 million number plates a day. It is used to enforce speed limits and road charging schemes, and to help police track stolen vehicles and serious criminals. Experts fear some drivers are finding ways to avoid detection.
At one test site near the Dartford Crossing, a new camera recorded more than 1,000 suspected ghost plates a day. At another site near the M25, detections rose 50% in a year to almost 2,000 a day. The cameras are being tested by MAV Systems, a company run by Chris Shepherd. He said: 'We see it day and night consistently, they have become a real scourge now.' The cameras are designed to spot ghost plates that can appear faded or incomplete under infrared light.
Police leaders warn that if drivers believe they cannot be detected, roads can become less safe. The investigation highlighted the case of Graham Slinn, 81, who had recently bought an electric bike. He was using a pedestrian crossing when he was hit by a car travelling at what witnesses said was around 80 miles an hour. The driver fled the scene. He had been using cloned number plates, copying someone else's registration to make it harder for police to identify him. A family member said it would have been their parents' 60th wedding anniversary and a big family celebration had been planned. The driver, Kane Byrne, was later jailed for 11 years for causing death by dangerous driving.
The programme also looked at how easy it can be to obtain potentially illegal plates. Wearing a hidden camera at a market in Essex, a reporter was able to buy a number plate from one supplier without providing the documents normally required by law. Police say stricter controls are needed.
The government says it is funding a crackdown on illegal plates, including a new National Roads Policing Coordination Centre to share intelligence and best practice to improve enforcement. But as more UK roads rely on cameras to keep drivers accountable, questions remain about how many vehicles are already slipping through the net.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| A reporter bought a number plate from an Essex market supplier without the documents normally required by law. | |
| Cameras near the Dartford Crossing and M25 detected suspected ghost plates, with reports of more than 1,000 a day and a 50% annual rise to almost 2,000 a day. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The bulletin led with the Panorama findings on ghost plates, framing them as a growing enforcement and road safety problem. It gave unusual weight to the human cost through the Graham Slinn case and to police warnings about cloned plates and serious crime. It also noted the government's planned crackdown while questioning how many vehicles are evading ANPR.
- “We see it day and night consistently, they have become a real scourge now.”
- “It seems like it's harmless, but then it just leads, one thing leads to another and before you know it, somebody's dead. It is not a victimless crime.”
- “The government says it's funding a crackdown on illegal plates, including a new National Roads Policing Coordination Centre to share intelligence and best practice to improve enforcement.”
Broadcast Timeline
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