£30 'ghost' number plates on sale that avoid police cameras sparking crackdown calls

Good Morning Britain viewers were left stunned after being shown 'ghost' number plates which experts say are undetectable by Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras, potentially allowing criminals to escape motoring offences. Later today, MPs are set to discuss whether individuals caught using these plates should face harsher punishments.

During the show, host Susanna Reid questioned expert Michael Flanagan: "Is there something I can see with the naked eye that gives me an idea if it is cloned or ghosted?'" Mr Flanagan responded: "It's impossible. It's simply impossible."

Reid continued to probe: "If it's impossible for me, it's impossible for the police doing a patrol. What's the, what is the tech that we need to introduce to make this, you know, impossible for the criminals to operate?" Mr Flanagan informed her of the extensive reviews conducted on the UK number plate and licensing system, mentioning: "We've had two very significant reviews of the British number plate and licencing system in the last 20 years. The first was conducted on behalf of the Department for Transport by the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science."

MP Sarah Coombes stated: "Well there are some cameras I think that are better at catching them. So Wolverhampton City Council, which is next door to me, they're doing something to try and crack down on this, but it's, we need to do both. If you're caught with plates, you need a much more serious penalty than you are right now for these dodgy plates. And then also we need to be obviously supporting our authorities and also get the cameras, but you know, at the moment it's obviously not working."

Co-host Richard Madeley added: "It also seems to me that if you catch somebody using these dodgy plates, you need to do an investigation into them because they may have been committing crimes. It may be a very clear indication. And Susanna added: "Although, to be fair, as we just found out, if you innocently buy a car with one of these plates, you wouldn't have been able to notice it. "Is there something I can see with the naked eye that gives me an idea if it is cloned or ghosted?'" The pair held up two Irish number plates which look the same, but one had been altered to make it undetectable and invisible even under infrared, reports Coventry Live.

Susanna added: "The bottom one is a ghost number plate and uh it's almost invisible under infrared, but in daylight it looks normal, so the police wouldn't know there was anything wrong with it."

Labour MP Ms Coombs has raised concerns about the use of "Is there something I can see with the naked eye that gives me an idea if it is cloned or ghosted?'" or "stealth" plates, which are made from a reflective material that makes them unreadable to police cameras. These plates can be purchased online for as little as £30 and are being used by some drivers to evade detection while committing various offences, including running red lights, drink driving, and flouting speed limits.

Ms Coombs is calling for stricter laws to tackle the issue of "dodgy plates".

The West Bromwich MP highlighted the ease with which number plates can be cloned or altered to avoid detection by authorities. She pointed out that the current fine for using a non-compliant number plate stands at £100, whereas the minimum penalty for speeding includes a £100 fine and three points on the driver's licence.

Ms Coombs emphasised the need for harsher penalties, stating: "There are a select minority of people who think they are above the law."

She added, "They think that by using a ghost plate they can get away with running red lights, drunk driving, ignoring speed limits and much, much worse. It can't be right that these drivers are not being caught by police for creating so much danger on our roads. The punishments need to be tougher."

She also expressed her concern for public safety, saying, "Pedestrians and drivers alike deserve to be able to feel safe on the roads. The behaviour of a few reckless drivers is putting us all at risk."

Ms Coombs believes that "Clamping down on dodgy plates by toughening up the law is the first step we need to take towards ending this road safety crisis for once and for all."

Ms Coombes is set to propose new legislation in the House of Commons on Wednesday through a 10-minute rule motion, aiming to address this pressing road safety issue.

Her proposal is unlikely to become law unless it is adopted by the Government as part of its new road safety strategy. Tony Porter, the UK's former surveillance camera commissioner, said ghost plates offer a "temptation" to drivers who want to "speed, drive without due care or without insurance to evade prosecution".

"Innocent members of the public are being put at risk," he added. The extent of number plate misuse is still being understood but it is estimated that around one in 15 plates could be modified in some way.

A Government spokesperson said: "This Government takes road safety seriously. "We are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. "Since the general election, the Labour Government has begun work on a new road safety strategy, the first in over a decade. Ministers will share more details of the strategy in due course."