Labour MP Sarah Coombes has secured a major victory in her campaign against illegal “ghost number plates”, after the Government announced a crackdown as part of its landmark Road Safety Strategy.
The measures, unveiled by the Department for Transport, include proposals for tougher penalties for drivers using illegal number plates, stronger regulation of number plate suppliers, and enhanced enforcement powers for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). The reforms are currently subject to public consultation before being implemented.
Ghost plates are illegally modified vehicle registration plates that appear normal to the human eye but are designed to evade Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. They are increasingly used by dangerous drivers and criminals to avoid detection for speeding, running red lights and other offences.
From West Bromwich to Westminster
Coombes, the Labour MP for West Bromwich, launched her campaign following concerns from residents about illegal street racing and dangerous driving, particularly around Kenrick Way in her constituency.
Working closely with West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster, she has spent the past year raising the issue in Parliament, questioning ministers, introducing legislation and pressing for stronger enforcement.
That sustained campaign culminated this week with the Government announcing a series of proposals to tackle the growing use of ghost plates.
Welcoming the announcement, Coombes said:
“After a sustained campaign about the hidden menace of unreadable ghost number plates in Parliament, I am delighted that the Government has listened. There is no good reason to use a ghost plate; it threatens safety on our roads and allows criminals to fly under the radar. But they’ve now been rumbled. The Government’s landmark Road Safety Strategy is taking decisive steps to end this number plate Wild West.”
Leading the campaign
Coombes first brought the issue before Parliament through a Ten Minute Rule Bill, calling for substantially tougher penalties for drivers using illegal number plates.
Her proposals included increasing the maximum fine from £100 to £1,000, introducing up to six penalty points, and giving police powers to seize vehicles in the most serious cases.
Speaking in the House of Commons, she argued that existing penalties were too weak to deter offenders.
She warned:
“The scale at which this problem now exists is frightening. These plates are on every street, in every town and they are being used to openly commit offences and evade capture, in the knowledge there’s very little we can do about it. The problem is only getting worse, posing huge danger on our roads. We need to toughen up the law urgently.”
She has also called for tighter regulation of number plate suppliers, describing the current system as a “number plate Wild West” that enables cloned plates, ghost plates and wider criminal activity.
Government credits Coombes’ campaign
During the Commons statement on the new Road Safety Strategy, Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood MP paid tribute to Coombes’ work.
She told MPs:
“Thanks to the tireless campaigning of my hon. Friends the Members for West Bromwich (Sarah Coombes) and for Rochdale (Paul Waugh), we are tackling illegal number plates. We will increase penalties for using illegal plates and ensure that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is empowered to carry out more robust checks on number plate suppliers.”
Later in the debate, Greenwood again praised Coombes’ efforts, saying:
“I thank my hon. Friend… for the outstanding work that she has done to bring this issue to national attention.”
“They’ve been rumbled”
Responding in the Commons, Coombes welcomed the Government’s announcement and urged ministers to move quickly from consultation to implementation.
She said:
“These plates are great for car racers and criminals and terrible for the rest of us. They have spent years going under the radar, but today they have been rumbled, and I am delighted the Minister has announced a massive crackdown on these plates.”
She also pressed ministers on when offenders would begin receiving penalty points, when vehicle seizure powers would be introduced and when MOT checks on number plates would begin.
Stronger enforcement ahead
Alongside the Road Safety Strategy, the Government has launched consultations on tougher motoring offences, including illegal number plates, as well as measures affecting young drivers, older motorists and vehicle safety technologies.
The strategy proposes:
- tougher penalties for drivers using illegal number plates;
- stronger powers for the DVLA to regulate and audit number plate suppliers;
- improved enforcement against cloned and ghost plates; and
- wider reforms aimed at reducing deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035.
A significant backbench success
The campaign is widely seen as an example of effective backbench advocacy, with a constituency issue evolving into a national policy change.
What began as concerns over illegal street racing and dangerous driving in West Bromwich has now resulted in Government proposals that could significantly strengthen road safety and make it harder for dangerous drivers and criminals to evade detection.
While the measures must still complete the consultation process and, in some cases, require legislation, the Government’s announcement represents a significant milestone for Sarah Coombes’ campaign—and a notable win for road safety campaigners across the country.
