Just thought I'd warn you about those fancy number plates reflect the gatsos flash back at them thus making the number plates illegible. Despite claims from the manufacturers, there is no grey area, these things, although super, they are ileagal, and we're talking thousand squid fines and three points on the liscence. Up until now you could get away with it as they were pretty bloody hard to detect, but what with the congestion charge there is gonna be 'live' vans around the capital with people in, and that means that police intervention is just a radio chat away. Beware

good point. let's not forget that some of them ( at least the 3 i've seen ) are bloody obvious when you're behind them - one minute you can read the plate, the next it's disappeared at a different angle.

not very clever if mr. policeman is nearby.

Correct, those plates are illegal....BUT

As far as the congestion charge goes, neither the mobile OR fixed cameras can be used for anything other than congestion charge purposes. If they use them for any other form of traffic or law enforcement it becomes a CCTV system, and would fall under different rules and regs.

I understand this is because the system can immediately match a vehicle number plate to its owner and their address, and there is obviously a privacy issue.(eg, a celebrity could be "tracked" around the zone). "Normal" CCTV obviously requires human intervention to perform any traces.