It is typical of the British to ignore an issue like this until they become victims of it. It's probably more effective to harangue your local MP and refuse to accept the standard pro forma reassurance they are sending out to their constituents. I have addressed your concern about cloning in our campaign, on www.honestjohn.co.uk As soon as an issue of cloning is raised, a marker must be put on the registration by the DVLA, which must then refuse to divulge the registered keeper.

JA of Dorking wrote, “Anyone can obtain sets of number plates without showing a V5 to the maker. I had a word with my mother’s MP, in Chislehurst who told me that the current law of 2009 on obtaining number plates is in disarray, particularly in big cities, like London, Manchester and Liverpool. The law has broken down because of the intrinsic dishonesty of some people in the motor trade. So many people have unrestricted access to the equipment that makes the number plates that the law is virtually impossible to enforce. A lot of ideas that aim at correcting this have been discussed, but nothing new has been agreed. A proposal to get MOT garages to stamp plates was mooted, but because of the bureaucracy and cost involved, the scheme was abandoned. It seems the country is getting more dishonest.” But maybe the increased use of numberplate recognition to hound and punish motorists has directly led to this sad state of affairs.