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Any driver caught with altered or illegible number plates could be given a fixed penalty ticket or taken to court where they face a fine of up to £1,000. |
Officers said there was a growing trend to place screws in numbers to make them look like letters or to use non-UK style number plates.
Police said vehicle registration plates were a "vital identification tool".
"We rely more and more now on Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology and other forms of recording equipment, which allow us to pick up on a host of offences," said Pc Martin Gardner
"[This includes] driving without insurance and not in accordance with a licence as well as other forms of criminality."
By law, vehicle registration plates must be displayed at the front and rear of vehicles, should be easy to read and meet British standards.
They should be in black letters and numbers on a white (front) or yellow (rear) background and the lettering and spacing should be of the correct size.
