Stolen numberplates

Dave · 2 Jan 2012 at 15:25

Hi all

Not a great start to the new year - I got home last night at about midnight and have just noticed after walking into town that both my front and rear numberplates have been stolen. I've called the police and have a crime reference number - they said that I do not need to inform the DVLA as they share the same criminal database and that I just need to buy some more number plates for my car. Do I need to inform my insurance company as well?

I thought I'd need to change the registration given that they were stolen, but the police said that the original reg is fine. I was planning on getting plates with the EU logo on the side as my old plates didn't have this - the rear plate was also a bit malformed in the middle ("bubbled up" was the MOT term used!) so it needed replacing anyway, but this is just a bit of a pain. Obviously I can't drive the car to the shop to have them stuck on so I'll have to buy them and do it myself - has anyone else had this happen to them before? Did you just stick on some temporary numberplates to get it to the garage?

The crims have been a bit stupid here though - the road I parked on is a very quiet road just outside college, and there are CCTV cameras pointing to the road just on this little stretch of about 10-15m as it's outside a college building. Hopefully that will show something up - I'm just shocked that they didn't also steal the three or four unlocked bicycles by the railings!

MOOGLEYS · 2 Jan 2012 at 15:29

Be prepared to get a few speeding tickets and visits from the police. Same thing happened to one of the guys I used to work with and he had no end of problems until the police found the car using the plates.

Dave · 2 Jan 2012 at 16:08

Hopefully it will be found fairly quickly as it can't have been more than 1 or 2 hours since the person stole the plate, and Cambridge/shire is a fairly small place. If it's found speeding then it'll be pulled over as I usually drive my Mondeo like an old man

(and it was put on the Police database fairly quickly)

Von Smallhausen · 2 Jan 2012 at 16:25

You might get contacted as stolen plates are usually used in bilkings and other crime but as you have reported it, it will be easily resolved. There will also be a marker on PNC so whoever is using the plates might get a pull if an ANPR camera is activated.

Phil W · 2 Jan 2012 at 16:35

What car was it?

Possibility of the plates being put on a stolen car for re-sale as well.

Dave · 2 Jan 2012 at 16:38

Is the petrol station numberplate recognition software hooked up to the central database as well? Apparently in Cambs the main use for stolen plates is stealing petrol, although I suppose if they do drive off without paying then the station will immediately inform the police. Unfortunately the on-call porter in the college is the grumpy one, who refused to look through the CCTV as he was "too busy", even though he had solitaire in the background of the PC. I think that the hedge by the garden is probably in the way of the car, so it will only show something if the thief walked that way down the road carrying the plates.

Phil W said:
What car was it?

Possibility of the plates being put on a stolen car for re-sale as well.

Ford Mondeo TDCi (in the spirit of this forum

), so it's entirely possible.

MikeHiow · 2 Jan 2012 at 16:47

I would want to speak to the DVLA and see about getting the registration re-assigned - it just seems like so much hassle having someone else rolling around with your numberplate, dealing with parking tickets, stolen fuel, speeding tickets etc. etc.

Plus, with your numberplate being reported as stolen, you're probably going to get pulled over every time you're spotted by an ANPR equipped vehicle, too.

[TW]Fox · 2 Jan 2012 at 16:50

MikeHiow said:
I would want to speak to the DVLA and see about getting the registration re-assigned

I wouldn't want to waste the money on the telephone call, as it'll never happen.

MikeHiow · 2 Jan 2012 at 16:54

Probably - I have no idea whether it's even possible, but I think I'd want to at least try.

Von Smallhausen · 2 Jan 2012 at 16:56

It really is a waste of time and a phone call.

Do it if you want but it won't happen.

[TW]Fox · 2 Jan 2012 at 17:02

MikeHiow said:
Probably - I have no idea whether it's even possible, but I think I'd want to at least try.

Also call them and ask for a new car.

Skilid · 2 Jan 2012 at 17:17

[TW]Fox;20932516 said:
Also call them and ask for a new car.

Lol.

I wouldn't even bother.

Daveyboy · 2 Jan 2012 at 18:18

Best thing to do with the new plates is get the EU flag on them. That way when you get a visit from the police, or a ticket from a speed camera you can contest it by showing that it was indeed the cloned vehicle as yours now has the blue strip on them. Otherwise even though the police have been informed, it's tricky to contest. Or put a large sticker in your back windscreen.. something that distinguishes your car from the clone.

Happened to my Dad, they eventually caught the clone.

shoes · 2 Jan 2012 at 22:53

[TW]Fox;20932407 said:
I wouldn't want to waste the money on the telephone call, as it'll never happen.

Von Smallhausen said:
It really is a waste of time and a phone call.

Do it if you want but it won't happen.

EliotG said:
Lol.

I wouldn't even bother.

Why is this the case though? Surely if plates are stolen it could be considered that they were stolen for the purpose of committing further crime? Therefore, if the police were happy that the OP is genuine and not pulling a fast one himself, why would the DVLA not wish to issue a new registration for the vehicle and rendering the stolen ones ilegal in the process for future traffic stops/ANPR etc.?

Is this a cost issue, or to prevent people who are the opposite of the OP who are stealing cars and then reporting the number plates stolen or similar? That would be pretty dodgy surely, what with VIN / chassis numbers and what have you?