From 1990-1995 I worked in Saab dealer and one of the things I had to do was make number plates. This involved a sheet of reflective material with the dealer details along the bottom and a couple of blue stripes around the edge. On to this, the numbers and letters were applied like transfers, peel one protective layer off, position it on the reflective sheet, rub it with a hard plastic tool till the second protective layer started to lift. Carefully peel the second layer off making sure the digit didn't come too. Take the protective layer off the sticky side of the clear plastic 'blank' and run both parts through what was essentially a mangle before peeling off the excess from the reflective sheet with a Stanley knife. I say this because as far as I know, they are still made pretty much the same way. The point is, if you go to any company which specialises in number plates, they'd be able to knock up a front number plate for you no problem. You might have to send the broken one to them, or maybe take send some good quality pics, so they can get the right font and size for the dealer details, but I doubt you will have any difficulty getting an identical replacement.

Only approved organisations can make number plates now and the "transfer" system died long ago. Its done by a printing process now.

But there are loads of places offer legal plates for not a lot of money, thing I paid £8 when a piece of wood hit the wifes front plate on the M1 and cracked it.

All you need is the V5C and some proof of identity and they will sort you a new plate.

Ten years ago one could get replica plates made via the web - I did it for one of my 205s. Tried again a few years later, but I think regs have been tightened up and it may be a lot harder now.

I wouldn't have thought there would be any problems unless the style of font or the positioning of the letters were 'questionable'. I'm guessing the plates on the Escort in question will be of a very standard font, probably the same as is still used on the majority of UK plates, so really it is just about getting the dealer details right.

Typing "number plate suppliers" into Google, gets loads of results, just contact them, explain what you want and see what they say. Can't see it being too much of an issue, even if regs have changed now, surely it would be OK to put a 1997 style of plate on to a 1997 car?.