SPEED DEMONS
Crooks using ‘ghost plates’ to dodge speed cameras face government crackdown
MPs are calling for £1,000 fines and six penalty points to stop the lawless “number plate Wild West”
CROOKS using illegal “ghost plates” to dodge speed cameras and escape police could finally face tougher punishments, ministers have said.
The sham plates, which make cars invisible to number plate recognition systems, are being used by drug dealers, fraudsters and boy racers to cause carnage on our roads.
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Labour MP Sarah Coombes told the Commons she was warned by a senior cop that the problem is now “frightening” - with ghost plates spotted “on every street, in every town”.
She blasted the lack of action and called for £1,000 fines and six penalty points to stop the lawless “number plate Wild West”.
The current punishment is just a £100 slap on the wrist - less than a speeding ticket.
Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood admitted “more needs to be done” and said tougher penalties will be looked at in a new road safety crackdown.
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She also said the DVLA is working with police chiefs and the Home Office to target rogue sellers and tighten enforcement.
Campaigners warn kits to make ghost plates can be bought online for as little as £40 – with sites openly selling the gear.
Sellers often get around the rules by branding them “show plates”, while Instagram and TikTok are flooded with videos promoting them to wannabe racers.
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