SURREY has the second-highest number of illegal number plates in the country, and the most behind London, according to new research. A Freedom of Information request to England’s 39 police forces by personalised number plate company Click4reg .co.uk revealed a whopping 5,395 Brits are driving with an illegal number plate.

The Metropolitan Police predictably came out on top, with 812 people fined and/or prosecuted for displaying an illegal plate last year.

However, perhaps more surprising was that Surrey Police came second on the list, with 494 offenders caught in 2015. Neighbouring Hampshire came sixth on the list, with 218 people falling foul of the law.

The DVLA’s strict regulations stipulate not only that the registration must be two letters, two numbers, a space and three further letters, but also that the correct font, character size and spacing must be used.

Anyone in breach of the regulations, or whose number plate is obscured including by dirt or missing, could not only fail their MOT test, but could be fined up to £1,000.