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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Call for car number plate revamp | Call for car number plate revamp |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| The number plate system needs to be completely overhauled to beat a rise in "car cloning", police have said. | The number plate system needs to be completely overhauled to beat a rise in "car cloning", police have said. |
| A record number are being cloned to enable people to commit crime and escape motoring fines, the Association of Chief Police Officers says. | |
| More than 40,000 sets of number plates were stolen in 2006, a rise of almost 25%, according to police estimates. | More than 40,000 sets of number plates were stolen in 2006, a rise of almost 25%, according to police estimates. |
| Police blame rules on registering plate buyers and suppliers and wants to see tamper-proof plates on all cars. | |
| Acpo's Coventry-based Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service says it now has no confidence in the ability of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) licensing system to prevent cloning. | Acpo's Coventry-based Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service says it now has no confidence in the ability of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) licensing system to prevent cloning. |
| The service's Supt John Wake told BBC News: "The registration plate is the first form of identification of the vehicle to the general public. | The service's Supt John Wake told BBC News: "The registration plate is the first form of identification of the vehicle to the general public. |
| It was horrendous. You are guilty until you can prove you're not Tony BullockCar cloning victim Send us your reaction | It was horrendous. You are guilty until you can prove you're not Tony BullockCar cloning victim Send us your reaction |
| "I don't have confidence that beyond that you can identify that that vehicle is the legitimate vehicle for that plate." | "I don't have confidence that beyond that you can identify that that vehicle is the legitimate vehicle for that plate." |
| Acpo wants a central issuing body for the registration numbers, and all cars to have tamper-proof plates fitted. | Acpo wants a central issuing body for the registration numbers, and all cars to have tamper-proof plates fitted. |
| The DVLA is considering forcing all the UK's 1.3 million motorcycles to be fitted with plates featuring electronic tags, which are currently being trialled. | The DVLA is considering forcing all the UK's 1.3 million motorcycles to be fitted with plates featuring electronic tags, which are currently being trialled. |
| The AA's Paul Watters said the amount of cloned number plates was "growing fast". | The AA's Paul Watters said the amount of cloned number plates was "growing fast". |
| "It seems to be on a roll and we need to start taking some action to look at the innocent motorist who may fall victim to some of the issues which follow up the theft of a number plate," he said. | "It seems to be on a roll and we need to start taking some action to look at the innocent motorist who may fall victim to some of the issues which follow up the theft of a number plate," he said. |
| Whenever there were police cars lying on the side of the road, I used to get stopped Drivers' tales of problems | |
| "There are different levels of cloning. There is the simple cloning, just stealing a plate to drive into say the Congestion Charge zone or evade a speed camera. | "There are different levels of cloning. There is the simple cloning, just stealing a plate to drive into say the Congestion Charge zone or evade a speed camera. |
| "It ranges up to a higher level which is the car criminal who wants to sell on a stolen car." | "It ranges up to a higher level which is the car criminal who wants to sell on a stolen car." |
| Tony Bullock's car was cloned even though his plates were not physically stolen, and he was threatened with prosecution after "his" car was repeatedly caught speeding in Leicester. | Tony Bullock's car was cloned even though his plates were not physically stolen, and he was threatened with prosecution after "his" car was repeatedly caught speeding in Leicester. |
| He said: "It was horrendous. You are guilty until you can prove you're not. It's the first time that I've thought that English law is on its head." | He said: "It was horrendous. You are guilty until you can prove you're not. It's the first time that I've thought that English law is on its head." |
| Metropolitan Police Federation chairman Glen Smyth said the problem has grown because of the amount of camera-based enforcement of traffic offences, which relies on computer records on who owns which car. | Metropolitan Police Federation chairman Glen Smyth said the problem has grown because of the amount of camera-based enforcement of traffic offences, which relies on computer records on who owns which car. |
| A spokeswoman for the DVLA said it had introduced a standard for theft-resistant number plates, as well as having trialled microchip technology to combat cloning. | |
| She added: "The DVLA also regularly works alongside the police to support anti-vehicle crime operations." |