New camera tests expose thousands of illegal ‘ghost’ number plates on UK roads
New camera trials on southeast England motorways have detected thousands of illegal “ghost” plates designed to evade ANPR systems.
A pilot camera system being tested on motorways in south-east England has uncovered thousands of illegal registration plates that conceal their characters from automatic number-plate-recognition (ANPR) cameras. At a test site near the Dartford Crossing the device logged more than 1,000 ghost plates each day, while nearby sites on the M25 and near the Eurotunnel have seen detections rise to nearly 2,000 and over 400 daily respectively.
Investigations reveal that such plates can be bought for as little as £40 without ID checks, and they have been linked to fatal crashes, including the 2023 death of Jason Wallis and the 2025 killing of Graham Slinn. Police and the DVLA say only two suppliers have been prosecuted since 2020, and a minister has announced a national centre to coordinate intelligence and new technology to curb the practice.
Why it matters
Illegal plates let drivers evade enforcement, endangering road safety and hampering crime tracking.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTBoth camps report the new camera system uncovering thousands of illegal ‘ghost’ plates, but left-leaning coverage emphasizes the scale of the problem and the government's response program, while centrist coverage stresses the cheapness of the plates, their link to fatal crashes, and the limited prosecutions.
LEFT
Frames the story as a technological test exposing a widespread illegal-plate issue and prompting a government programme to assess the scale and tighten rules.
CENTER
Frames the story as revealing a dangerous, low-cost illegal-plate market tied to fatal crashes and inadequate prosecutions, highlighting the need for national coordination.
The left emphasises
- detects over 1,000 ghost plates daily at test sites
- government has launched a national programme to assess the scale
- creation of a support centre for police and consideration of tighter rules
In this story
