Drivers warned as action taken to close 'ghost plate' speed camera loophole
Council bosses have issued a stark warning about rogue motorists using 'ghost plates' to dodge speed cameras. These illegal plates, which reflect camera flashes, render cars invisible to speed and bus lane cameras. Also referred to as 3D or 4D plates, authorities are now ramping up efforts to close this loophole.
Two years ago, the head of our national Automatic Number Plate Recognition system revealed that a shocking number of drivers – roughly one in 15 – can easily fool the system. On his departure Professor Fraser Sampson wrote a letter to Transport Secretary Mark Harper expressing his disappointment at the lack of action against these simple yet effective tactics.
To tackle this problem, councils have been given new cameras capable of identifying these elusive number plates. In Wolverhampton, local wardens were equipped with this advanced technology as part of a strict enforcement campaign last year.
Offenders can anticipate a £100 fine for such violations, reports Wales Online. In his letter to Mark Harper, Prof Sampson detailed how individuals were dodging fines by cloning number plates, using reflective tape and purchasing 'stealth plates', thereby evading charges for speeding or entering low-emission zones.
According to Prof Sampson, the system boasts a 97% accuracy rate in reading number plates but can still generate 2.4 million incorrect readings daily. This could lead to innocent drivers being erroneously fined.
Prof Sampson has raised concerns about the vulnerability of the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, which despite its technological sophistication, still depends on a vehicle's number plate.
He remarked: "For all its technological advancement and operational indispensability, the ANPR system still relies ultimately on a piece of plastic affixed to either end of a vehicle.
"Served by a wholly unregulated market, what my predecessor termed the humble number plate represents a single and readily assailable point of failure with the ANPR network being easily defeated by the manufacture and sale of stealth plates, cloned registration marks and other rudimentary obscurant tactics."
He further warned: "The result is that the ability to frustrate the ANPR system remains staggeringly simple at a time when proper reliance on it for key public services such as policing, law enforcement and traffic management is increasing daily."
Additionally, he pointed out the potential for abuse, saying: "Emission zones and other strategic traffic enforcement schemes put motorists in situations where they have to make significant financial choices and it is at least arguable that the incentives for some to 'game' the ANPR systems have never been greater."
Prof Sampson pointed out straightforward evasion strategies: "Merely by applying reflective tape to distort part of a registration plate or purchasing stealth plates from online vendors, motorists can confuse and confound current number plate recognition technology and both of these are easily obtainable."
A recent estimate suggested that one in fifteen drivers may already be using anti-ANPR technology; it is reasonable to expect this behaviour to increase as the reliance on ANPR for new traffic management schemes continues."
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Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Spider-Man who performs at children's parties sexually abused girl for years
James Thomas, 37, was jailed after he previously pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity A vulnerable girl who suffered sexual violence has revealed the sight of her abuser wearing a Spider-Man costume for children's birthday parties was the "final straw." James Thomas, 37, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on July 10, 2025, after he previously pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The court heard how In his mid-20s Thomas groomed a young girl into a petrol station where he worked in Swansea and abused her in the stockroom. The victim, whose name we are changing to Chloe for legal reasons, has revealed how his horrific actions in 2012 and 2013 "altered her life completely." She has disclosed how the trauma destroyed her mental health and caused her to miss extended periods of school. She also turned to drugs as she struggled to cope. Chloe said the trauma had eaten away at her for a decade but the final straw came when she discovered Thomas was advertising himself on Facebook as a children's party entertainer who dressed up as Spider-Man. She bravely confronted Thomas in 2023 on social media, to which he confessed his heinous crimes. Chloe has now decided to speak out in the hope it will empower other victims - and warn others of his behaviour. She has partially waived her lifelong right to anonymity so WalesOnline could publish her story. Chloe said she first met family friend Thomas when she was around eight or nine years old. Prior to the sexual abuse starting when she was around 13 or 14 years old, until she was 15, Chloe said Thomas seemed 'over familiar' towards her, despite nothing obviously illegal happening. She said: 'He didn't do anything sexual at that point, but he seemed over familiar and was gaining my trust in a gradual way. It was nothing obviously illegal, but he was pushing my boundaries. 'Then it started with high fives and hugs - very tight hugs, not just a friendly hug. 'He would give me a high five and hold on to my hand, keeping it there as long as he could. Then he [started working at the] garage on Wychtree Street in Morriston (which has since changed hands).' Chloe said Thomas began inviting her to the garage. He would buy her cigarettes - from the age of 14 - in a bid to gain her trust and attention. On rainy days he would invite her to take shelter there with him, she said. 'He got my number and he started texting me, asking if I wanted to come down and help him stack the shelves and have a chat,' she said. 'That's when things became weird. 'He would ask me to come down on my own, and tell me not to come down with anyone. He would ask if I wanted to go into the back room and restock the storage cupboard so it was all tidy. 'He would follow me and that's when [the abuse] would happen. 'It started with hugs and kisses, then moved on to more sexual stuff after a few weeks. He put his hands down my trousers and then he would ask me to touch him and do stuff to him 'That sort of stuff went on for a few months.' Chloe said at the time she knew something didn't feel right, but that as a lonely and shy child Thomas' actions made her feel close to him. Now, aged 27, she understands that this was Thomas using her vulnerability to his advantage. Chloe said she put an end to their interactions when she felt that Thomas pushed things too far one day. She said Thomas continued to text her, asking her to come and see him, but that she declined to see him on her own ever again. As she got slightly older and began to fully understand the gravity of Thomas' actions, Chloe said she began using drugs as a coping mechanism. 'A few months after the abuse I started doing a lot of drugs to cope with it because I knew it was so wrong,' she said. 'I started smoking cannabis which went on to legal highs. Because I was doing the drugs, I was being naughty at school and not going to school. I used drugs until I was 17." Chloe said the mental health impact of Thomas's abuse continued into her adult years. She explained that even though Thomas no longer abused her, they often saw each other because they were in similar circles. It meant her trauma was often triggered and so it became harder and harder to hide it from others. When Chloe had children of her own she realised she couldn't go on much longer without reporting Thomas' actions to the police. Then in 2020 she came across a Facebook page used by Thomas where he advertised himself as a children's party entertainer who dressed up like Spider-Man. 'This was the final straw,' she said. 'When I saw that he had been dressing up like Spider-Man for children I felt awful. I wish I said something sooner so that it didn't get to that point 'I look back and there were a lot of ifs and buts. 'But after [so many] years I didn't want to risk just coming out with it with no evidence, no dates, no times. In a court of law that's not going to get very far is it?' Chloe said the only way she believed she could take the matter any further was to confront Thomas and get a confession, so she bided her time until a suitable opportunity arose. She said: 'A couple of weeks before I reported it I saw him and he was quite upset about something. 'Afterwards he messaged me on Facebook with a broken heart emoji and this was the only opportunity I had to get some sort of confession out of him 'I asked him why he liked me when I was so young? I said: 'If you are really sorry you will apologise for what you have done and tell me what you did'.' In screenshots seen by WalesOnline Thomas clearly told Chloe: 'It was so wrong.' He continued: 'Yer I do remember I'm still feeling bad over it. I'm disgusted with myself for doing it. If I could take it back I would x.' He proceeded to state a number of sexual acts that he subjected Chloe to and apologised for each of them, adding: 'It had to stop.' Chloe went on to tell him about how his actions affected her and directly led to her drug use. Thomas responded saying he has anxiety, before asking: 'Can we still be mates tho?' Later that evening he randomly told her to check out marketplace 'Temu', adding 'it's worth it', having completely dismissed and misunderstood the seriousness of their previous conversation. Chloe said: 'The day after I confronted him I saw him walking to Asda and he walked up to me and hugged me. This was less than 12 hours after he admitted it to me.' After speaking to Chloe, WalesOnline found and searched through Thomas' public Facebook page which has more than 500 members. Hundreds of pictures have been posted to the page showing Thomas dressed up like Spider-Man in tight clothing at numerous children's parties and events. He can be seen hugging, carrying and high fiving many children. In further public social media posts Thomas bragged that he had been invited into a primary school to talk about being Spider-Man in front of hundreds of children. Thomas, of Tawe Street in Morriston, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on July 10, 2025. He has no previous convictions and a judge said it was clear from psychological and probation reports that Thomas' intellectual and emotional age was less than his chronological age. Thomas was sentenced to four years and four months in prison. He will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life. Describing the profound impact Thomas' abuse had on her life, Chloe said: 'It altered my life completely, starting with the drugs. 'Through doing that I missed a lot of school and I didn't get the education I needed to get a job 'As I got older I became more withdrawn and my anxiety worsened. 'I tried to hide it and avoided going to the doctors for [mental health] help in case someone asked why I was going and I felt like I had to tell them. She said it has even continued to impact her in motherhood. She said: 'I have felt worried about going out in case I see him, and worried about taking my children out. 'My child went to the school opposite to where he lives and it got to the point where I couldn't walk to the school and my children were missing days off school because I couldn't face going down there. 'There were days when they would be late because of the fact I didn't want to go down there. 'I have moved them to a different school now so I don't have to face going down there, but it has impacted their education as well. 'Just walking down the lane to the school you can see his house and you can see the garage. Going into the carpark and the school yard, you can also see it.' Reaching out to other victims she emphasised that once she reported Thomas' crimes to the police, she felt listened to and taken seriously. She said: 'Be brave, be strong, you can do it.' ChildLine provides help and support for children and young people. It's a private and confidential service for children and young people up to the age of ChildLine website and Helpline (0800 1111) are always available for information and support on issues like domestic and sexual abuse. If you, a family member, a friend, or someone you are concerned about has experienced domestic abuse or sexual violence you can contact the Live Fear Free Helpline 24 hours a day seven days a week for free advice and support or to talk through your options: 0808 801 08 00.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
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Getting his teeth done in Turkey was 'worst mistake' - now he owes £100k
A self-employed scaffolder who forked out thousands for botched Turkey teeth has been issued a hefty penalty for evading tax payments, it has been revealed A Welsh scaffolder who previously complained about his Turkey teeth has now been exposed as a tax cheat. Matthew Bowen, from Rhondda Cynon Taf, dodged £103,408 in tax, according to HMRC's latest list of deliberate defaulters. The self-employed man was repotedly slapped with a hefty fine of £66,956 by HMRC for evading tax payments from April 2018 to April 2024. Last year, we covered his story about his botched dental procedure in Turkey, which he branded "the worst mistake" of his life after shelling out £14,000 on the operation, travel, and accommodation, only to claim his new teeth began to "fall apart" within weeks. The 36-year-old, residing in Bryntirion, Ynysboeth, Abercynon, told Wales Online over the phone this week that it was the first he'd heard of his tax evasion. However, the publication reports that this claim doesn't add up with HMRC's procedures, which involve giving each defaulter the opportunity to dispute the publication of their details before they're listed. He promised to return their call within half an hour but failed to do so. Upon contacting him the following day, he said: "I dunno what to say to be honest. I've been trying to contact HMRC but I'm on hold. If I thought I done wrong I wouldn't be trying to ring them." In the title's previous conversation with Mr Bowen regarding his dental disaster, he shared that he had worked tirelessly, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for two years prior to his January 2023 operation in pursuit of a "perfect smile". Did his aspirations lead him to twist the truth with his tax returns? "No," he said, denying tax evasion or knowing about HMRC's concerns. Last year, Mr Bowen revealed his dental troubles started aged 19, when he sustained a broken jaw from an assault in Tesco. "All my teeth started crumbling after that," he explained. The crowns he wanted were not covered on the NHS and getting them fitted privately in the UK would have cost him £27,000, he said. When a friend from Turkey recommended a clinic in his home country, Mr Bowen flew out to Marmaris for a £7,800 operation. Mr Bowen had 18 teeth taken out and 12 metal implants inserted into his jawbone, topped off with porcelain crowns. However, he claimed that the crowns began to disintegrate within weeks, prompting him to return to the clinic in August 2023 for further unsatisfactory treatment. "I've got a big gap from my gums to my teeth," he claimed last year. "You can see all my saliva coming through the tops of my teeth." The dentist responsible, Dr Aras Selcuk, defended his work at the time, asserting: "This is the only patient with problems so far. Everyone is happy, only this guy is not... I told him the saliva between the gum and the teeth is normal." In our initial conversation, Mr Bowen mentioned he was working long hours to save up for another operation to achieve the smile he desired. Asked recently for an update on his dental situation, he simply stated: "They're the same." Individuals or businesses land on HMRC's list if they've deliberately failed to pay over £25,000 in tax. HMRC asserts that the purpose of this list is to "influence behaviour by encouraging defaulters to engage with HMRC". After a year, the names of these defaulters are wiped from the record.
North Wales Live
4 days ago
- North Wales Live
Getting new teeth in Turkey was 'the worst mistake' of his life, but now he owes £100,000
A man who spoke about his regrets after getting his teeth done in Turkey has now been named and shamed as a tax cheat. Matthew Bowen evaded £103,408 in tax according to HMRC's latest list of deliberate defaulters. The 36-year-old self-employed scaffolder from Rhondda Cynon Taf, has been handed a penalty of £66,956 by the taxman for dodging payments between April 2018 and April 2024. Last year Walesonline reported on his experience of a dental operation in Turkey, which he described as "the worst mistake" of his life having spent £14,000 on the surgery, travel and accommodation - only for his new gnashers to allegedly start "falling apart" within weeks. Mr Bowen, of Bryntirion in Ynysboeth, Abercynon, told Walesonline the phone call from them was the first he had heard about his tax evasion. But this does not tally with the procedures of HMRC, which says it gives each defaulter a chance to argue why their details should not be published before they appear on the list. He said he would call them back in half an hour but did not do so. The next day they rang him again and he said: "I dunno what to say to be honest. I've been trying to contact HMRC but I'm on hold. If I thought I done wrong I wouldn't be trying to ring them." When they spoke to Mr Bowen for last year's piece on his dental woes, he said he worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for two years leading up to his January 2023 operation because he craved a "perfect smile". Did that dream push him to twist the truth with his tax returns? "No," he replied, denying he ever dodged tax or knew about HMRC's concerns over his filings. Speaking last year, Mr Bowen said his dental issues began aged 19 when he sustained a broken jaw from an assault in Aberdare's Tesco supermarket. "All my teeth started crumbling after that," he said. The crowns he wanted were not available on the NHS and getting them fitted privately in the UK would have cost him £27,000, he said, but after a recommendation from a Turkish friend he opted to go to a clinic in Marmaris for a £7,800 operation. Mr Bowen had 18 teeth removed and 12 metal implants inserted to his jawbone, before having porcelain crowns fitted. But he claimed they were "falling apart" within weeks of being put in, so he returned to the clinic in August 2023 for another operation, which again left him dissatisfied. "I've got a big gap from my gums to my teeth," he said last year. "You can see all my saliva coming through the tops of my teeth." The dentist, Dr Aras Selcuk, stood by his work, telling us: "This is the only patient with problems so far. Everyone is happy, only this guy is not... I told him the saliva between the gum and the teeth is normal." In our original interview Mr Bowen said he had been "working so many hours" to save for a new operation to finally get the smile he wanted. This week, when we asked if there was an update on his teeth, he replied: "They're the same." A person or business appears on HMRC's list if they have intentionally defaulted on more than £25,000 in tax. The authority says the list is intended to "influence behaviour by encouraging defaulters to engage with HMRC". Defaulters' details are removed from the list after 12 months.
