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National Numbers Articles

Just Wed Number Plate for William and Catherine

April 30, 2011
Posted in Number Plate News,Number Plates — Written by Helen

William and Catherine put the finishing touch on a perfect wedding ceremony yesterday with their fabulous “Just Wed” number plate.

Just Wed Number Plate

The number plate was seen on the rear of the blue Aston Martin – driven by Prince William – as he and Catherine left Buckingham Palace to a backdrop of cheers from supporters.

The number plate read JU5T WED, and the usual blue EU badge on the plate was replaced with ♥U. The actual registration of the vehicle, EBY 776J, was on the front of the car – a soft-top Aston Martin DB6 MKII Volante. The vehicle is 41 years old, and was a gift from the Queen to Prince Charles for his 21st birthday party.

For those who wonder, JU5T WED isn’t a valid format for number plates in the UK. The best example of a real Just Wed plate would be JU57 WED or JU52 WED.

These kinds of personalised registrations make elegant and legal marques for wedding vehicles.

Search for your own perfect private registration with National Numbers – with over 34 million to choose from, we have every name and every occasion covered.

Brighton Man Made to Remove MR L10N Number Plates

April 22, 2011
Posted in Number Plate News — Written by matthew.smith

Traffic officials have ordered a Brighton businessman to remove his personalised number plates, stating that they were illegal for road use.

Dave Day, founder of the Golden Lion pub chain in the Brighton area, was warned by police that he faces an £8,000 fine if his MR L10N number plates aren’t removed from his car.

Mr Day’s chauffeur-driven Bentley has been a public attraction for the past seven years, with people even requesting to have their picture taken with the number plates.

Unfortunately for Mr Day, an unmarked police car spotted the rule-breaking registration and fined him £60 for having incorrectly spaced lettering.

The personalised registration was modified at Mr Day’s request, moving the L a few millimetres to the right to separate the two words.

However, Mr Day was clearly outraged by the police’s interest in such a matter.

“People get plates adapted or altered all the time,” he explained.

“You would think the police have got better things to do than chase around after my number plate.

“We’ve had nine murders in the city in the last year.

“My plate is just there to make people smile.

“Children and tourists ask me if they can be photographed with it.”

He added that the decision to target a minor technicality such as the spacing between the R and the L as “pathetic”.

However, a spokesperson for the DVLA is adamant that the rules must be enforced.

“We make it very clear that registration marks must be correctly displayed.

“Misrepresented number plates can cause problems for enforcement bodies like the police using automatic number plate recognition cameras.

“The police can issue fixed penalty fines for illegally displayed number plates and offenders could face a maximum fine of £1,000.”

Get a personalised registration of your own by contacting the number plate experts at National Numbers, on 01642 363738.

Australian Authorities Call for Removal of Foreign Swear Word Number Plate

Posted in Number Plate News — Written by matthew.smith

Australian road authorities are relentlessly pursuing a New South Wales resident because her personalised number plate means “vagina” in a different language.

The four letter word spells out “KIKI” which is also used in the Filipino language of Tagalog.

As a result, the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) has been seeking to have the plates removed.

Kristen Perry received the number plates as a gift from her husband five years ago and refers to a nickname she has had since childhood.

“At first I thought it was a joke, but then I realized it was actually quite serious and that my number plates would be taken off me if I didn’t respond appropriately,” Mrs Perry explained.

“Quite frankly it’s a bit of a funny thing, but at the same time quite a bit scary that we’ve got people that can just report a number plate that seems quite inoffensive to 99 percent of us out there, but one percent have an issue with it.”

The complaint was made to the RTA by a Tagalog speaker who’d taken offence to the word.

Mrs Perry could see humour in the situation, however.

“I rang my father last night and said, ‘Do you know you have been calling me vagina all my life?’” she joked.

Thankfully, the RTA have seen sense and eased their position on the issue.

“The RTA has a responsibility to investigate complaints about personalised plate content, but we recognise that in doing this we must take a common sense approach,’’ a spokeswoman declared.

“‘We recognise in this case a common sense approach was not adopted and Ms Perry will retain the content of her plates.”

To get a personalised registration that you can be proud of, contact the experts at National Numbers on 01642 363738 and let the friendly advisers help you every step of the way.

Buyers Beware of Stolen Car Sales

Posted in Number Plate News — Written by matthew.smith

Police are issuing a warning to people in Devon following a series of stolen car sales.

Authorities are calling for extra vigilance from local residents, with three people already falling for the scam.

Over £45,000 was conned out of the three victims during the spate of criminal activity.

According to a spokesman for Devon and Cornwall police revealed that all three cars involved were Land Rovers, had false number plates and forged identification numbers and were purchased in good faith in all instances.

Two ‘cloned’ Land Rovers were recovered from Umberleigh and Cullompton earlier this month, with the third tracked down in Dittisham at a later date.

Vehicles investigations offices warned citizens of Devon and Cornwall to be on guard when buying a second hand car.

“These cars are initially stolen along with their keys from people’s homes or premises,” PC Humphries explained.

“They are then advertised for sale with forged V5(c) log books, and MOT certificates which relate to non-stolen vehicles in other areas of the country.

“They bear false number plates, VIN – vehicle identification numbers – tax discs, VIN stickers and forged service books and will come with only one key.”

The unwitting purchaser isn’t often aware of the scam until the false documents are sent to the DVLA.

Police are urging people to be aware of the market values of cars before they go ahead with a purchase.

Deals for cars below 70 per cent of their market value are often too good to be true.

Other clues include the seller’s vehicle knowledge and knowledge of vehicle history or a request for cash from the seller.

To get a personalised registration for a low price, contact the experts at National Numbers, on 01642 363738.

Pub Crash Motorist, 80, To Be Reviewed by Police and DVLA

April 14, 2011
Posted in DVLA News — Written by matthew.smith

Police and DVLA officials are set to look into an 80 year old woman’s driving ability after she was reported to have reversed her car into a shop, then crashed into a pub.

The unnamed pensioner was seen to have destroyed a bench and almost hit the pub’s chef during the incident.

She was reported to the police after mounting the pavement and reversing into the empty gift shop on River Street, Truro in February.

A separate allegation links her Volkswagen Polo to a collision with the Tywarnhayle Pub in Perranporth.

The incidents have resulted in the police contacting the DVLA, requesting them to review and assess her driving ability.

“Her case will be treated as a high priority and dealt with quickly,” explained a police spokesperson.

“It is standard procedure to ask a motorist to surrender the licence during this process.”

Peter Brown, chef at the Tywarnhayle Pub, witnessed the motorist’s bizarre actions first-hand.

“I heard her engine revving and saw her reverse into a van,” Mr Brown said.

“She then drove forward hitting a car in front, which then struck another car.

“I went to help her and got about 20ft away when she shot forward and headed straight for me.

“She missed me by a few feet and crashed through a wooden bench and chairs, hitting the pub wall.

“It was lucky no-one was sitting outside.”

Mr Brown went to the car and removed the keys from the ignition for the driver’s safety.

“She seemed very confused and didn’t seem to know what she was doing,” he added.

The pub’s co-owner, Mrs Winterburn, was relieved that the incident wasn’t more serious: “Her driving was extremely dangerous and I hope she thinks again before getting behind the wheel.”

Personalised registrations are a great way to ensure your car says something about you.

Get in touch with the personalised registration experts at National Numbers on 01642 363738, and the friendly advisers will help you every step of the way.

DVLA Assisting Code Breaching Parking Firms

Posted in DVLA News — Written by matthew.smith

The BBC has found that the names and addresses of motorists are being given to many private parking firms, despite breaching the industry’s voluntary code.

The British Parking Association code is set out by the DVLA and its data is restricted to companies that follow the rules set out in the code.

Some of the rules include failing to handle complaints in a correct manner and overstating powers by threatening fines.

Alleged breaches are investigated by the DVLA and companies that are proven to have failed in complying will find their access to data denied.

A DVLA spokesman revealed that they want to find a happy medium: ”We have to strike a balance – allowing fair enforcement but protecting motorists.”

Any firms that are looking to gain access to data must belong to the British Parking Association’s Approved Operator Scheme which outlines the rules for operation.

“If it is brought to our attention that a company does not meet the necessary standards, we will immediately investigate, and if allegations are proven, stop the release of keeper information to them.”

In order to cover administrative costs, the DVLA receives £3.4m per year for providing driver details to private parking companies.

Private parking companies are restricted from using certain terminology.

Searchlight Security and Parking Solution included the word “fine” on their website, but have since put it down to an “oversight”.

According to the code, ”you must not use terms which imply that you are acting under statutory authority; this will include terms such as ‘fine’, ‘penalty’ or ‘penalty charge notice’.”

To find a great personalised number plate that really says something about you, contact the experts at National Numbers on 01642 363738.

The friendly advisers at National Numbers have over 10 years experience in getting people the number plate they want, so don’t delay; get yours today!

007 Number Plate Gets Licence to Sell

Posted in Number Plate News — Written by matthew.smith

A selection of new Guernsey number plates with prefixes 0 and 00, including the famous James Bond number 007, are set to be sold at auction.

Several options had to be considered by the Environment Department prior to introducing new vehicle registration marks.

Adding letters would seriously affect a “unique aspect of Guernsey life”; a number only island.

The new registration numbers could yield in excess of £1m for the island, according to auctioneer Clive Maides.

All eyes are going to be on the number plate baring 007; the number made famous by fictional spy James Bond.

The Environment Department will release the new plates over several years in a non-numerical order.

“Introducing the new plates involved an examination of the legal issues as well as consideration of the impact extending the registration marks would have on existing marks.

“The vehicle registration database software has also had to be amended to bring 0 and 00 prefix numbers into the stock of numbers.

Unfortunately, the numbers one and two are reserved for and used by the island’s bailiff and lieutenant governor.

“Registration marks containing the digit one, two – and to a lesser extent three – have a special status in Guernsey and hence the decision has been taken not to issue marks 01, 001, 02, 002, 03 or 003.”

Elsewhere in the UK, it has been revealed that number plates containing the letter Z seem to be bad luck.

Based upon the final three letters in number plates, insurance firm Elephant.co.uk analysed almost 650,000 accident claims.

Findings found that NCZ, AWZ and AAZ appeared in the top five “at-fault” claims, while RMZ and NZZ appeared in the top five “non-fault” claims.

Managing director at Elephant.co.uk isn’t taking the findings too seriously, though.

“I’m sure this is just a coincidence – we’ve got no plans to charge more for some registrations as a result,” he explained.

To get a personalised registration that you can be proud of, contact the experts at National Numbers on 01642 363738.

MP Clampdown on Illegal Roadside Vehicle Sales

April 4, 2011
Posted in DVLA News — Written by matthew.smith

A high amount of cars are still being sold at the roadside in Wyken, Coventry, with a local MP looking to clampdown on the illegal trade.

By posing as private sellers, some rogue dealers are committing an offence and misleading buyers.

When people purchase a car from a dealer, they have more purchaser rights than if they were to buy from a private seller.

During the April of 2010, police and councillors found over 20 cars for sale in the street on “Coventry’s illegal showroom,” Sewall Highway.

The law states that it’s illegal for an individual to sell two or more cars on one stretch of road.

Nick Bye, a resident in the area is becoming increasingly frustrated by the situation.

“We now have at least 12 cars for sale all lined up like a showroom and constantly changing, all within about 200 yards of each other” Mr Bye explained.

The problem has been growing for approximately eight years, although a crackdown took place during September 2010, with the details of nine vehicles taken.

MP Bob Ainsworth took it upon himself on behalf of the local residents to investigate the situation and increase police awareness of the problem.

“This is a long-standing problem, not just in Sewall Highway but in other parts of the city too and it is clearly causing great inconvenience to residents,” MP Ainsworth revealed.

“The last time I contacted the council they clearly did something because the situation improved for a period of time.

“Unfortunately, it now appears that the problems are back and are worse than ever.

“I have written to the police and the council again urging them to take whatever action they can to resolve the situation.”

To get a personalised registration that you can be proud of, just contact the number plate experts at National Numbers on 01642 363738 and let the friendly advisers help you every step of the way.

Parking Firm Dealt Huge Fine

Posted in DVLA News — Written by matthew.smith

A parking firm has been dealt a £26,000 fine for misleading drivers at West Midlands shopping centre.

Trading Standards began investigations into Observices Parking Consultancy’s parking space at St John’s Retail Park in Wolverhampton, following a string of complaints from users.

The magistrates court was informed of how shoppers at the retail park can park for free for up to two hours, but if their stay exceeds two hours, they are fined £100.

In addition to this punishment, they are warned that the fine may rise to £400 if the ticket is challenged.

Some drivers have claimed that they made several visits to the site in one day, but never exceeded the two hour limit during each stay.

The court heard how fines weren’t issued for months on occasions, with director Douglas Harris admitting to taking over the necessary 28 days to place requests for vehicle information from the DVLA.

Mr Tony Watkins, prosecuting in the case explained how the car park was observed by cameras, set up to photographs of vehicles that entered and left the car park.

However, confusion arose when vehicles used the car park on more than one occasion during a 24 hour period.

Defending Harris and Observices Parking Consultancy, Mr Patrick Maggs, revealed how a new and improved camera system has now been implemented.

Harris admitted to 13 offences, including sending debt recovery letters without explaining that it was from his company, OPC, and erecting 15 misleading signs at the car park.

Harris was handed a fine of £3,100 and £2,585 in costs, with his business OPC fined £26,750 with costs of £5,000.

There are thousands of personalised registrations available to choose from, and some are perfectly suited to you and your vehicle.

For help in finding your dream number plate, just contact the experts at National Numbers, on 01642 363738.

Police in Untaxed Vehicle Crackdown

April 3, 2011
Posted in Number Plate News — Written by matthew.smith

Police in the Somerset town of Taunton gave untaxed motorists an unwelcome surprise during a crackdown on unlawful vehicles.

Those who had failed to tax their motors watched helplessly as trucks were brought in to tow them away.

A total of 11 vehicles were impounded following a day-long police operation involving officers from the DVLA and PCSOs.

Police also targeted seven people for other road offences such as driving without insurance, sending out a strong message to local motorists.

Steps were taken by the police force following complaints from residents regarding the upward trend in tax avoidance.

“This is a persistent community complaint and causes a huge amount of frustration among residents,” explained PCSO Zoe Brooks, organiser for the operation.

Sergeant Andy Murphy explained the process being undertaken by the force: “This is the fifth year of Operation Go Tax, specifically targeting vehicles across Taunton which aren’t taxed and are uninsured.

“Cars that aren’t taxed or insured are illegal and, although not in every case, we often find that they aren’t roadworthy either.

“We all have a duty to make sure our cars are safe, taxed and insured, otherwise the consequences can have a wide-reaching negative impact on individuals and the wider community.

“Both Avon and Somerset Police and our partner agencies are committed to listening to our communities and responding to their complaints and concerns, ensuring that Taunton remains a safe place to live and visit.”

National Numbers have over 10 years experience in helping people to get the perfect personalised registration, so don’t hesitate in contacting the friendly advisers today.

To get a number plate that you can be proud of, contact the experts at National Numbers on 01642 363738.