Drivers have been warned about new artificial intelligence-powered cameras, which will be used to crack down on millions breaking key driving rules across the UK.
The revolutionary cameras will target fraudulent number plate cases, which have been used by drivers to evade Ulez charges as well as other driving restrictions.
The innovative technology represents a significant advancement in law enforcement's battle against an estimated two million drivers who use the "ghost" number plates to avoid detection by Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras.
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The pilot programme by West Midlands Police, designated Operation Phantom, will aim to penetrate the various concealment methods employed by offenders, including materials that render plates invisible to ANPR cameras during nighttime operations.
Ghost number plates can evade Ulez cameras in place across London
|PA
The deployment addresses what authorities describe as a growing threat to road safety enforcement and revenue collection systems.
During the initial fortnight of testing, the advanced camera system identified 4,335 separate occasions where ghost plates were being utilised.
These detections involved 2,961 distinct vehicles that would likely have evaded traditional ANPR monitoring systems entirely.
The substantial numbers revealed during the operation demonstrated the growing problem of number plate manipulation occurring across the region.
Drivers have been using ghost number plates to avoid getting caught by Ulez enforcement cameras
| PASuperintendent Jack Hadley, who leads the force's road policing division, described the operation to The Telegraph as "a fantastic example of innovation and collaboration in action."
He explained that addressing ghost plate usage remains essential for crime reduction efforts and maintaining community safety standards throughout the area.
The need for new enforcement comes after numerous reports came to light of drivers using varied sophisticated techniques to avoid ANPR detection systems, ranging from chemical applications to physical alterations of their registration plates.
These methods include specialised gels and spray coatings designed to interfere with camera recognition capabilities.
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Physical modifications have also proved particularly popular among offenders, with reflective "stealth" tape available for purchase online at approximately £80 per application.
But more worryingly, drivers can obtain fake registration plates for as little as £10 from approximately 40,000 largely unregulated suppliers operating across the country, while stealth tape and similar concealment devices remain readily accessible through internet retailers.
Research conducted in June 2023 revealed that approximately six per cent of vehicles displayed some form of "ANPR-defeating material" on their registration plates.
The widespread nature of this evasion extends beyond simple speed limit violations to various enforcement zones, including Ulez areas in London and other restricted access regions across the UK.
Sarah Coombes introduced the Vehicle Registration Offences Review Bill in February | PARLIAMENT UKAuthorities have now estimated that as many as one in fifteen drivers could be using ghost plates or similar concealment methods to avoid automatic detection systems.
Simon Foster, serving as West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, warned that these illegal plates "are not a minor offence, they are a serious criminal enabler".
Earlier this year, Sarah Coombes, Labour MP for West Bromwich, introduced parliamentary legislation proposing that courts impose fines reaching £1,000 alongside six-point driving licence penalties for ghost plate offenders.
"A select minority of people think they are above the law, and that by using ghost plates they can get away with running red lights, drink driving, speeding and much worse," Ms Coombes told MPs.