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Number plate cloning on the increase

From the Daily Echo, first published Monday 10th Jul 2006.

THE number of criminals cloning car registration plates more than doubled last year.

More than 500 motorists had their car's identity stolen or cloned last year as more and more criminals turn to the crime to avoid being caught.

The figure is up from 184 incidents the year before and mirrors figures from across the UK showing number plate theft is on the rise.

Motoring watchdogs Safe Speed say the boom has been triggered by the ever-increasing number of speed cameras on the roads along with more and more police forces using number plate recognition technology.

Police in Hampshire say drivers must now be on their guard against this type of offence. They can help in the fight against cloning by being vigilant and reporting incidents as soon as they occur.

Across the UK police believe more than 33,000 number plates a year are cloned. Offenders then use them to avoid paying anything from car tax to fuel at petrol stations.

Serious offenders are also using false number plates on crime getaway cars to avoid being traced, while nationally police say more and more drivers are using them to escape being caught on speeding cameras.

Sgt John Dainton, manager of the Hampshire Roads Policing Unit, said that at the moment the crime was not a major problem in Hampshire, but that it would become more of an issue as police used number plate recognition systems more frequently.

He added: "The message to Hampshire motorists is simple: if your number plate has been stolen or you think it has been tampered with, then report it to the police as soon as possible so that we can start searching for vehicles using that number.

"It's also important that if people start receiving mail relating to their car which they haven't asked for, or particularly if they get a fine for an offence they haven't committed, then they should also immediately report this to us.

"The message to anyone committing this type of offence is that you may get away with it once, but we will soon catch up with you as the technology works both ways and we can quickly identify cars sporting illegal plates."

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