Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster and Sarah Coombes MP have secured a major national victory today (January 7) as the Government officially announced a crackdown on illegal ‘ghost plates’ as part of its landmark Road Safety Strategy.
The announcement marks the culmination of a relentless campaign led by PCC Foster and Ms. Coombes MP to outlaw the reflective plates, which are specifically designed to deceive and evade Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.
The Government’s new strategy – the first in over a decade – explicitly targets these plates to stop criminals and dangerous drivers from moving across the road network, without detection by ANPR cameras.
West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, said: “This is a significant win for law and order and a huge step forward for road safety. For too long, criminals have used ‘ghost plates’ to operate under the radar, evading the technology available to keep our streets safe.
“I have campaigned tirelessly for this crackdown, taking the fight to Westminster to ensure these plates are removed from our roads once and for all. This victory will help us catch criminals, protect the public, and ensure that no driver is above the law.”
Sarah Coombes, MP for West Bromwich, added: “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 go 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.”
Beyond the crackdown on ghost plates, PCC Simon Foster has voiced his strong support for the wider Road Safety Strategy, which aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035.
The PCC welcomed additional measures, including consultations on lowering the drink-drive limit, introducing minimum learning periods for young drivers and clamping down on uninsured drivers – three specific interventions PCC Simon Foster has repeatedly called for to curb tragic and avoidable fatalities.
However, the PCC expressed disappointment that the Government failed to include his long-running campaign to allow local areas to retain fixed penalty fine revenue, to reinvest directly into regional road safety schemes.
PCC Simon Foster continued: “Reducing the number of people tragically and avoidably killed or seriously injured on our roads has always remained one of my top priorities.
“While I am disappointed the Government has not yet agreed to let us keep fixed penalty fine money locally to reinvest in road safety, this new strategy still provides vital tools to tackle the ‘fatal four’ – speeding, drink and drug driving, seatbelt neglect, and mobile phone use. It will save countless lives in the West Midlands and beyond.”
The Government’s new Road Safety Strategy aligns with core pillars and targets in PCC Simon Foster’s Police and Crime Plan 2025-2029.
