Illegal car plates were invisible to cameras

Incorrect Display of MAZ 343

Correct Display of MAZ 343

A MOTORIST has been convicted of having illegal number plates — which speed cameras cannot pick up. John Massaro, who had the illegal plates on his Jaguar car, told Bolton Magistrates Court he did not realise he was breaking the law. The 55-year-old father was stopped on Wearish Lane in Westhoughton by a traffic police officer and issued with a £60 fixed penalty notice.

But Massaro, of Captain Lees Road, Westhoughton decided to contest the fine and was due to stand trial at Bolton magistrates court yesterday. He changed his plea to guilty as the trial was about to start, but complained to magistrates he should have been given a warning by the officer instead of the notice and given time to replace the illegal plates.

Glenn Anderton, prosecuting, told the court when Massaro was stopped on March 24 his personalised number plates, MA Z343 purchased from Speedyreg, which he had only put on the vehicle six weeks earlier, were found to have illegal raised lettering meaning speed cameras would be unable to identify the vehicle.

He said: “These are the carbon graphite type of plates.

“The difficulty is if someone is driving at night and a camera goes off, they are difficult to read.”

Mussaro told the court he had not realised the plates were illegal when he bought them and was not given an opportunity rectify the problem when the traffic officer stopped him.

“I had a son doing a turn in Afghanistan at the time. My son’s out there and I am being treated like this for something so trivial,”he said.

Magistrates fined him £35 and ordered him to pay £35 towards prosecution costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Do you know how to display number plates correctly?