DRIVERS are being told to clean their registration plates of the winter's grime or risk a fine of up to £1,000.
North Yorkshire Police snapped a picture of this VW in Richmond which was one of 50 vehicles which police stopped to have a word with their drivers.
Some plates were so dirty they were either difficult to read or completely illegible. The stops are done in addition to other patrol duties.
A police spokesman said most drivers were given verbal warnings. But a small number of plates were so bad the driver had to be reported.
They added: "While it is not an offence to have a dirty vehicle, it is an offence to have an obscured registration plate or one that is not easily distinguishable. There are several reasons for this. If the vehicle is stolen it makes it much harder for police to find it and reunite it with its rightful owner. And if the vehicle is involved in a crime such as driving off from a collision or leaving a petrol station without paying for fuel, it would be difficult to trace."
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