Help! Number plate fallen off/taken- what to do?

[avaF1]

Friends rear plate has fallen off or been taken.

Who should he report it to? Worried criminals may pick it up and use it for speeding, etc.

Advice welcome!

[marshalla]

Buy a new one and fit it.

[ikarl]

marshalla said:

Buy a new one and fit it.

Yup, this!

[calibrax]

Report it to the police as well and get a reference number. I had a plate taken from my car and did just that... it helped immensely when several weeks later I got a demand letter from a company as my plate had been used on car that stole fuel from at a local petrol station (a drive-off). I simply told them when the plate had been taken and gave them the police reference number. They replied to say thank you for the info, and they would no longer bother me.

[avaF1]

marshalla said:

Buy a new one and fit it.

Smart chap. Goes without saying though, no?

Question was more around mitigating foul use of said fallen/taken plate. In case it wasn't obvious.

[Spare tyre]

I'd assume they'd take both if something sinister was going on

Also I'd machine the bad guys would make fake plates rather than nick em and then have the cops potentially looking for em with anpr

[randlemarcus]

swerni said:

calibrax said:

Report it to the police as well and get a reference number. I had a plate taken from my car and did just that... it helped immensely when several weeks later I got a demand letter from a company as my plate had been used on car that stole fuel from at a local petrol station (a drive-off). I simply told them when the plate had been taken and gave them the police reference number. They replied to say thank you for the info, and they would no longer bother me.

Why bother?
I can get any plate made up over the internet and stick it on my car.
Why would someone put on a random plate that doesn't match the car?

If it has fallen off, then it probably doesnt matter. If its been nicked, then it might match the car.

[TooMany2cvs]

avaF1 said:

Question was more around mitigating foul use of said fallen/taken plate. In case it wasn't obvious.

He could buy a "personalised" plate, I s'pose...?

Apart from that, just about nothing.

[anonymous-user]

avaF1 said:

Friends rear plate has fallen off or been taken.

Who should he report it to? Worried criminals may pick it up and use it for speeding, etc.

Advice welcome!

Was the plate screwed on or stuck on with those pads? If it was screwed on I'd be concerned, if not then it probably just fell off so buy a new one.

[rallycross]

Definitely report it so you have a crime number in case the plate gets used in some dodgy way.

I had both plates taken off my old estate car (screw on plates) and got a crime ref number just in case, nothing came of it and suspect it was some miserable old git trying to get my car towed away by it having no plates!

[avaF1]

Cheers for the pointers, we've called 101, got it reported and obtained a crime reference number. Just in case. Not much else he can do it seems (apart from getting new ones made up as Mr Smart Alec mentioned earlier).

Now he's worrying whether whoever has got possession of it it will use it a couple months down the line for speeding, etc. Arrggh...

[mcford]

If it was originally a plain plate, have the new one made with a country symbol on it. That way should you old plate get photographed, it'll help prove that it wasn't your car.

[TallPaul]

swerni said:

Why bother?
I can get any plate made up over the internet and stick it on my car.
Why would someone put on a random plate that doesn't match the car?

Because your method leaves a paper trail.

[anonymous-user]

avaF1 said:

Cheers for the pointers, we've called 101, got it reported and obtained a crime reference number. Just in case. Not much else he can do it seems (apart from getting new ones made up as Mr Smart Alec mentioned earlier).

Now he's worrying whether whoever has got possession of it it will use it a couple months down the line for speeding, etc. Arrggh...

I think he's worrying a bit too much! As I said before, I'd only be concerned if they're screw on plates as then someone has obviously gone to the effort of taking it.

[TooMany2cvs]

TallPaul said:

Because your method leaves a paper trail.

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Even if it does, are the Police _really_ going to be ringing around every single Back St Motor Factor and eBay plate seller for a handful of speeding and parking tickets? A fatal hit & run, maybe.

[avaF1]

mcford said:

If it was originally a plain plate, have the new one made with a country symbol on it. That way should you old plate get photographed, it'll help prove that it wasn't your car.

Top tip, thanks. Will text that over to him.

On a similar note are there any cameras (speed cameras/ANPR/etc.) that photograph the number plate only and not the whole car? We hope not. Maybe old GATSOs?

As any photo showing the incorrect car will obviously protect him for incorrect prosecutions, etc.

Edited by avaF1 on Wednesday 3rd September 11:49

[Impasse]

avaF1 said:

Top tip, thanks. Will text that over to him.

On a similar note are there any cameras (speed cameras/ANPR/etc.) that photograph the number plate only and not the whole car? We hope not. Maybe old GATSOs?

As any photo showing the incorrect car will obviously protect him for incorrect prosecutions, etc.

Unless it's gone onto a like for like car. The plate(s) from his silver Focus being used on the crim's silver Focus. Tell him to start speeding and nicking fuel. He's now got the perfect alibi.

[avaF1]

Impasse said:

Unless it's gone onto a like for like car. The plate(s) from his silver Focus being used on the crim's silver Focus. Tell him to start speeding and nicking fuel. He's now got the perfect alibi.

The chances of this are slim, we hope as motor is over 15 years old in a unpopular colour.

Hence the question around existence of any cameras that take number plate only?