Number Plate Withdrawn By The DVLA
Reg Plates ArticleNumber Plate Withdrawn By The DVLA
A number plate owner has had their number plate withdrawn by the DVLA after a member of the public complained to police that it spelt 'jihad'.
The Ford Fiesta was driven around with the personalised plate for six months before it was reported to officials.
Licence bosses have now banned the plate which was written JH11 HAD and sent the owner a replacement.
The car was reported after it was spotted driving around Newport, Gwent.
One woman who reported it to police after she saw it being driven in her home city said: "How can this be allowed with everything that is going on in the world at the moment?
"I have told the police about it and they said they would make a note of it.
"Surely this plate cannot be legal?"
A DVLA spokesman said the personalised plate had been bought in October last year and had "slipped through the net" of offensive registrations.
The spokesman said: "We try to identify all combinations that may cause offence, and on the rare occasion where potentially offensive numbers slip through the net, steps are taken to withdraw the number.
"As soon as we became aware of this last week we withdrew it and would have then sent a replacement plate."
Plates resembling the word 'jihad', which literally means striving or struggling in Arabic, and is associated with the concept of 'holy war', are unavailable, for example plates starting with JE and ending HAD.
Others which are banned include HO57 AGE, a close match to "hostage", and the chain of characters O54 MA because of its resemblance to the name Osama.
The following list shows plates that have been sold in the past at the highest prices. Most of these were sold in auctions across the country although some were sold by the DVLA.
- ‘25’ O for £518,000.
This is the most expensive Regplates ever sold by the DVLA, and were purchased in 2014 by Ferrari dealer John Collins. The plate is currently being used on a Ferrari. The market value of the car is around £10,000,000.
- ‘F 1’ for £440,000.
This Regplate was the previous record holder for the highest price paid for a reg plate. The plate represents the initials of Formula 1 racing and was bought in 2008 by Afzal Khan, a businessman from Bradford. The plates are currently being used on his McLaren Mercedes SLR, which is quite an impressive match.
- ‘S 1’ for £404,000.
This is claimed to be the first Regplate that was ever made in Scotland. Therefore, it is both special and rare, as it is only one of its kind. The Regplates were purchased in 2008 at an auction by an anonymous bidder who said the plate would be used on an old Skoda. It’s a good investment, either to mark history or as an antique.
- ‘1 D’ for £352,000.
These initials bear a resemblance to the American pop group One Direction. However, it is interesting to note that the Regplate was purchased a year before the group was even formed. Nabil Bishara, a businessman from Lebanon, purchased it.
- ‘M 1’ for £331,000.
Mike McCoomb, a businessman in the phone industry, bought this unique Reg plate back in 2006. He said the plates were meant for his son, who was 10 years old at the time of the purchase.
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