The original poster said he got them off an auction site. You cannot get plates of such sites lawfully. To get plates made up you have to go to a licensed number plate supplier with V5 and identification documentation. The auction site said they were illegal. Number plates are put on a vehicle as an identification not as a fashion statement. There are far too many people running around with plates that do not comply with the regulations . And there are far to many sites selling plates illegally so criminals can get some and clone your number.The government is currently trying to close a lot of these sites down. I was at a show recently where a trader was making plates up while you wait- no identification needed. I could have got as may pairs as I wanted!!

And police take photos now because it is good evidence. Offenders cannot then go to court and call the officer a liar as many do!

I bought in good faith, admittedly I should have read the fine print and perhaps left the purchase until the next day rather than rushing to get down the pub but you get the point. You can't buy weapons on eBay so if as you are saying its illegal to buy numberplates, why can you still do so?

Sorry Officer i didnt know the speed limit was 70mph................

Got to take it on the chin buddy and put it down to experience

Why can you still buy stolen sat navs and fake bbs wheels on ebay? etc.

Why can you still buy stolen sat navs and fake bbs wheels on ebay? etc.

Nuff said and don't get me going on fake Brembo caliper covers that the vendors suggest "fixing with self tapping screws".........

This is unfortunately indicative of the type of police force we have these days . Officers are not allowed to use their own discretion ( which may be good thing as quite a few have little commonsense). Those in charge cannot see what this kind of thing does to the public's confidence in the police. I for one would welcome back the old time bobby who could use his/her "noddle" in cases like this but the Politically Correct brigade would no doubt object.

Commonsense in a public office does not seem to be job requirement any more. Robotic attributes when interpreting the law seem to be highly regarded by those in charge.

Edited 25 March, 201016 yr by vwcabriolet1971

You could write to the chief constable enclosing a photo copy of the ticket and explanation, and if you can include a photo of the plate you never know he might scrap it

Better still go to the police station and ask to speak to him or her or a superior officer

Edited 25 March, 201016 yr by skippy41

Here is my discussion

I got stopped about 2 years ago on the M1. The policeman said my plates were not legal, they were spaced to show my initaials, they had a faint 'ST' logo in the background, the badge on the left was 'ST'. The plates were to BS and the font was OK.

He gave me a rectification notice and I put the originally supplied plates back on.

Was I wrong.....................discuss

In speaking to an IT guy, he says that this number plate recognition system is so good that it can tell what the number is upside down, spaced unevenly, any font, any size.

So there are too many rules where they are not needed, my 'copper' did show some discretion and I got off with a telling off.

The government is quite willing to take money off people for cherished number plates even when to 'make up' a name you have to space it differently

You could write to the chief constable enclosing a photo copy of the ticket and explanation, and if you can include a photo of the plate you never know he might scrap it

Better still go to the police station and ask to speak to him or her or a superior officer

I'm going to do just that.

Fortunately Sussex Police Headquarters, more commonly known in this local as "The Dream Factory" is in Lewes and worth the trip. I've got nothing to lose apart from £60 if they stick to their guns although I think it highly unlikely that Martin Richards will overrule PC 679's slight over zealousness. I actually doubt I'd get to speak to him in the first place to be honest........

I'm going to do just that.

Good luck with that, if it is for therapy then fine - if you actually expect it to pass in front of his eyes, forget it.

You got caught, you got fined, and you learned a lesson. Move onward and upward.

You could write to the chief constable enclosing a photo copy of the ticket and explanation, and if you can include a photo of the plate you never know he might scrap it

Better still go to the police station and ask to speak to him or her or a superior officer

They dont have superior officers-only senior officers!

I'm going to do just that.

Fortunately Sussex Police Headquarters, more commonly known in this local as "The Dream Factory" is in Lewes and worth the trip. I've got nothing to lose apart from £60 if they stick to their guns although I think it highly unlikely that Martin Richards will overrule PC 679's slight over zealousness. I actually doubt I'd get to speak to him in the first place to be honest........

In Avon and Somerset the headquarters is known as " ASDA" -Avon and Somerset Dream Academy.

You wouldn't get past the mat outside the door. Most senior police officers really don't want to speak to the public-after all it would be a good job if it wasn't for the Public

Edited 25 March, 201016 yr by morganic

maybe it was a slow morning or just did not like the look of you? To be honest its probably that reason when it comes to being stopped at times (sorry to any police officers that might read this). I've had my pressed plates on for nearly 6 years and I've not been pulled up by them. And yes I've had police look at my car and yes I've been stopped for a random reason (why are you out so late sir).

We should all know that we are easy money/targets and just be used to it.........change the plates and if you really want them have them as show plates only.

I do however like the way the police can and do change the goal post, you have a warning to no sorry £60 fine! And if it was for cloning did the office check your VIN details? Bet the car wasn't even looked at.

This is turning into an anti-police thread.

My only comment in that regard would be that discretion and common sense and 'good' consistent policing has been substituted with PC behaviour (not the Constable variety) and targets. Senior Officers are generally out of touch and not sufficiently motivated to serve the public, all the 'serving' is to Whitehall. What we need in the UK is locally elected Sheriffs, accountable and responsible to the local population and who set local policing priorities. This works fine in the US but is resisted vehemently n the UK by ACPO. This is advocated strongly in certain quarters of the Tory Party and has my full support.

I am not saying the OP should get away with 'it' but a lack of consistency does make this grossly disproportionate.

Edited 25 March, 201016 yr by vRSbloke

I still think that albeit unknowingly you simply broke the law. The plates were not the right sort.

It would annoy me too but the police are doing their job and one could equally well argue, had they let you off, that it would have been poor judgement on their part when there are so many people pushing the boat out with silly lights, daft extras etc. Had they let you off how could they then prosecute another offender? I doubt whether it would be top of their priorities to do this but having stopped you they would have been obliged to take action on any of the things they noticed.

It would have been nice if they had let you off but I cant find cause to criticize them for not having done so.

We should adopt the same practice as one of the scandinavian countries - Sweden I think, may have been Denmark.

They only have one state owned manufacturer who make and issue all number plates.

Stops completely the incorrect, personalised mis-spaced etc. Also makes it much more difficult for criminals to obtain false plates due to the manufacturing process and security systems.

Not, I guess that HMG will ever take decisive sensible action on this, so I suppose we'll just have to put up with the present crazy free for all we have.

sorry, but i drive an octavia with blue lights, and those are wrong, end of, mistake it may be but unfortuntatly its one of those things, its almost like the i genuinely thought it was ok to talk on my phone while driving.

there are a LOTTTT of rules which to be honest do make it verrry clear what he craick is.

whilst im sure england is differnert to N.I, i say feck the targets tickets go to those with stupid looking plates, and that font is stupid looking,

and that font is stupid looking

Riiiight. I wonder what Karlgeorg Hoefer would think of your critique of his hard work. Personally I've always thought it looks really good and it's a clever design.

sorry, but i drive an octavia with blue lights, and those are wrong, end of, mistake it may be but unfortuntatly its one of those things, its almost like the i genuinely thought it was ok to talk on my phone while driving.

there are a LOTTTT of rules which to be honest do make it verrry clear what he craick is.

whilst im sure england is differnert to N.I, i say feck the targets tickets go to those with stupid looking plates, and that font is stupid looking,

I'm not sure "stupid looking plates" would stand up in a court of law

Like I said, bought in good faith, didn't realise illegality. No defense in law but as I've never had a run-in with the traffic cops until this morning and up until then, I'd always respected them immensely. Now?

i do understand, but you gotta understand, YOUR WRONG, may be genuine, but its still wrong, and they were right, no longer the option of VDRS - Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme, or 55/10 if your in N.Ireland

for numberplates its ticket to fix it,

although ours are only £30,

Here is an interesting one for you then.

You're in Germany and your reg plates get nicked because somebody has a fettish for GB plates (never know).

So being a good motorist, you take your registration docs with you and go and get two plain reg plates made up and put on your car in Germany, to their standard.

Are these plates legal in the UK?

According to the law they surely should be as they meet an equivalent EU standard.

As for the £60 fine, is it a bit much, yes I think so, but then ignorance is not a defence in law, so you're just going to have to suck it up and see.

Going along to the station might not hurt and I think you could stress your disappointment in the officer and their attitude, when you apologised and offered to rectify it there and then.

At the end of the day though, at least it's just £60 and not a fine and points.

This is turning into an anti-police thread.

I think that's back on the point that that the way policing is carried out these days alienates the generally law abiding majority.

Here is an interesting one for you then.

You're in Germany and your reg plates get nicked because somebody has a fettish for GB plates (never know).

So being a good motorist, you take your registration docs with you and go and get two plain reg plates made up and put on your car in Germany, to their standard.

Are these plates legal in the UK?

According to the law they surely should be as they meet an equivalent EU standard.

They won't be legal because although the plate itself would be legal, the font of registration mark will be FE, not Charles Wright 2001.

I think that's back on the point that that the way policing is carried out these days alienates the generally law abiding majority.

could not agree more. I know the old man comes from a different time and maybe most things are better now but the police back in his day were human and not machines! They were able to have a joke and still get the job done and it was much more effective.

I think the OP and the others that have commented mearly feel that the police sometimes are over harsh with some people and lets face it not harsh enough on others. I could understand it more if it was like the many plate I see whilst driving that have ben made to look like words, but when its the correct font and space correctly, I'm sure a warning would have been a better option.

A question to anyone that might be a police office. You see two cars one driving with a number plate like in this post and the other driving with both side mirrors pushed in..............which one do you stop?

My money is on the number plate driver.................but which one is more aware of what is going on around him/her?

I got home last night and dug out the original plates, stuck the broken front one together and changed both of them. A couple of neighbours were out chatting and one of them asked me what I was changing the plates for. When I explained both of them became interested and couldn't see what the issue was. Now one of these is a "professional" driver (taxi) and even he said "so whats the difference then"!

Still, I've calmed down now but I still think the police should show a bit of gumption and realise that Mr.Average sometimes does stupid things (hands up!) but laying down the law with a £60 fine is not necessariliy the best way to go about resolving the issue......

My view of the police has changed considerably and not for the better because of this.

Shame really.

They won't be legal because although the plate itself would be legal, the font of registration mark will be FE, not Charles Wright 2001.

But they meet an eu standard as per the provision above and are perfectly clear for policing purposes!

Seems nuts to me.

Time for the eu to standardise plates across europe and I for one propose pressed plates with the german font, white at front, yellow at rear.

Edited 26 March, 201016 yr by cheezemonkhai