London and Birmingham Couple Faces Fines for Cloned Car
A London and Birmingham couple has found themselves in a frustrating situation after receiving 10 fines totaling £900 for a car they claim is not theirs. Despite providing a crime reference number, the authorities have only put the fines on hold while the couple gathers evidence to prove that their Fiesta is not the one in the ANPR pictures.
Speaking about the ordeal, Calderwood expressed disbelief, stating, “It’s the type of thing you hear about but never expect to happen to you. It feels like you’re chasing your tail, trying to get the PCNs overturned. My partner has SORN’d our Fiesta while we wait for it to be resolved, but we are still receiving fines.”
To combat serious organized crime, including cloning, West Midlands Police has initiated Operation Target. Crime manager Mark Silvester highlighted the impact of car thieves switching number plates to avoid detection, contributing to the rise in cloning incidents. Silvester mentioned efforts to shut down illegal number plate producers but acknowledged that it remains an ongoing battle.
Furthermore, concerns have been raised about the accuracy of some ANPR systems. Recent reports revealed instances where drivers were wrongly fined for failing to pay the £2.50 toll to use the Dartford Crossing over the Thames, attributing errors to misread number plates on low-quality images.
