Uncloaking criminality. Developing an Artificial Intelligence informed Automatic Number Plate Recognition system for police to identify vehicles displaying cloned registration plates.

Up to 1 in 15 vehicles on UK roads display ‘cloned registration plates often to facilitate serious criminal activity, Other ‘illegal purposes’ include congestion charge evasion and masking uninsured/unroadworthy vehicles. This practice impacts public safety and resources, with the emotional and financial costs of collision injuries caused (e.g. police, NHS), and innocent registered keepers accused. With UK National Crime Agency (NCA) partners, a system will be developed which compares ANPR image captured characteristics of vehicles (e.g. make, model) with vehicle registration data, and identifies ‘mismatches’ (i.e. cloned vehicles). Thereby improving policing and safety for UK road users.