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Blues Brothers

Home » Number Plate News » Blues Brothers The Blues Brothers are alive and well and living in Britain - and they've got official IDs to prove it.

Singers William Smith-Eccles and Mark Moore changed their names by deed poll in honour of the legendary film duo. And bosses at the DVLA have now given them permission to appear on their driving licences as Joliet Jake and Elwood Jake Blues. The civil servants even let the boys wear their trademark shades in their photos, despite rules which say the whole of drivers' faces must be visible.

Fronting a tribute band called 'Jake and Elwood' in Alfreton, Derbyshire, the boys get on a lot better with the police than their movie counterparts. Jake, 56, said 'A policeman stopped me the other day and asked to see my licence, and when he looked at it, he said, 'You're having a laugh, aren't you?', but when I explained it all to him he was perfectly happy.'

'Most people would be surprised that we managed to get these driving licences but the DVLA told us they were making an exception and we would be the only two people allowed to do it.' Elwood, 27, added: 'The Blues Brothers look is how we appear day in day out.'

'When it came to getting our driving licences we thought we should be wearing sunglasses. I don't think anyone would recognise us if we took them off.'

The DVLA originally turned down the brothers' photos because their rules insist on 'a recent and true likeness, showing the full face, with no hat, helmet or sunglasses'. But they had a change of heart after Jake and Elwood told them they hardly ever took off their shades - and reminded them that they are on a Mission From God.

A DVLA spokeswoman said: 'In certain cases, where overall features are not impaired, it is possible to accept images of people wearing sunglasses. These two applicants were able to provide proof that the images already appeared on their passports. As the DVLA mirrors some of the procedures in place in the Identity and Passport Service, the images were accepted and licences issued.'

Tue, 13 Jun 2006