FROM today police will be cracking down on motorists who deliberately alter their number plates to evade detection and prosecution.

West Mercia Police has launched Operation Larch and will be stepping up enforcement of vehicles with illegal registration plates.

Sergeant John Roberts, casualty reduction manager, said: "It is extremely important that vehicle registration plates follow the correct guidelines.

"Although some people alter their number plates in order to personalise them; there are those who alter their number plates in order to avoid detection by roadside cameras and the police.

"The aim of Operation Larch is to target those people who are attempting to evade prosecution and the criminal minority who use vehicles to commit crimes and try to avoid being caught by tampering with the vehicle number plate."

The law states letters and number on all number plates must be of a set size and be in a mandatory font. There is also legislation governing the spaces between the letters and numbers.

"Number plates must be easy to read, not only by enforcement agencies but also by people who may witness collisions or a serious crime involving a vehicle," said Sergeant Roberts.

"Investigations into these incidents can be seriously hampered if witnesses are unable to read number plates properly.

"It is illegal to alter the layout of a number plate, use a patterned background or use a non-standard font such as italics. Other illegal alterations include the use of tape, screws, and other objects to obscure parts of the registration number."

Anyone with an illegal number plate is advised to replace it. If caught you could face a fixed penalty notice of £30, or if the case goes before court, a fine of up to £1,000.