West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster and local MP Sarah Coombes have welcomed the launch of a new Parliamentary Vehicle Registration Plate Inquiry as a major milestone in their long-running campaign to crack down on illegal ‘ghost plates’.
The inquiry, led by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Transport Safety, will examine the growing problem of untraceable number plates, which allow dangerous drivers and criminals to evade detection, enforcement and accountability on the UK’s roads.
The move follows the success of Operation Phantom – a pioneering initiative led by PCC Simon Foster and West Midlands Police’s Roads Policing Unit with Redspeed International – which used cutting-edge technology to expose thousands of illegal number plates operating across Birmingham.
The initial findings provide an early understanding of the scale of the issue, with so-called ‘ghost plates’ often used by offenders to avoid fines, but can also be used to commit more serious crimes.
Simon Foster has long championed tougher measures to stop the production, sale and use of illegal 3D and 4D plates. Since his election in 2021, tackling dangerous driving and improving road safety have been key priorities in his Police and Crime Plan.
Welcoming the parliamentary inquiry, PCC Simon Foster, who also chairs the West Midlands Road Safety Strategic Partnership Board, said: “This is a very significant and welcome step forward, in the fight against illegal 3D and 4D number plates – known as ghost plates. I’ve been campaigning for national action on this issue for some time, and I’m pleased to see that our work here in the West Midlands is now gathering serious momentum.
“This inquiry is about exposing offenders, bringing them to justice and keeping people safe on our roads. It’s vital that we now build on this progress and deliver the changes needed to tighten up the law and keep the people and communities of our region safe and secure.”
Sarah Coombes, MP for West Bromwich and a member of the APPG for Transport Safety, said: “I’m pleased that in the West Midlands we are in the vanguard of action to crack down on illegal number plates. The results of Operation Phantom exposed just how big the problem of ghost plates is in our region, which is why there could be no better time for a parliamentary inquiry into this issue.
Our ghost plates campaign has reached the next level. 🔥
— Sarah Coombes for West Bromwich (@SarahCoombesWB) October 7, 2025
Today the APPG for Transport Safety has announced a parliamentary inquiry looking at how we could stop the spread of dodgy number plates 👀
Do you have something to share?👇https://t.co/7PSkaH9kTd pic.twitter.com/wrrpDCDoIr
“I’m calling for tougher penalties for people who wilfully evade detection by ANPR and who are making our roads unsafe. I hope this inquiry will find that there is no excuse for using a ghost plate and demand an end to this number plate Wild West.”
The PCC and the MP will continue to work closely with partners across policing, local authorities, and government to ensure robust enforcement, better regulation of number plate suppliers, and the use of advanced technology to detect offenders.
To view details of the Vehicle Registration Plate Inquiry, click here.
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