£30 fine for displaying Welsh flag - TELL US WHAT YOU THINK (From South Wales Argus)

£30 fine for displaying Welsh flag - TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

8:32am Friday 29th December 2006

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A GWENT motorist was stunned to receive a £30 fine after being told his licence plates bearing images of a Welsh dragon were illegal.

A policeman in Blackwood handed Chris Sterry, 21, from Abertillery, the penalty notice, ordering him to change the plates on his Fiat Bravo immediately.

"I couldn't believe it," recalled Mr Sterry.

"I had a crack on the front plate and I thought it was about that. But when he said it was because of the national flag, I was gobsmacked."

Mr Streey was issued with the penalty on October 12. It was dropped by Gwent Police on appeal on December 4. But under current UK vehicle regulations, the display of flags and symbols on number plates other than the European circle of stars is banned.

In 2001, the UK Government tabled an amendment to allow emblems such as the English Cross of St George and the Red Dragon of Wales.

That proposal is still under review, and a spokeswoman for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) said police forces across the UK "have been asked not to take enforcement action against these number plates".

Nevertheless, enforcement of regulations is down to the discretion of individual police forces.

When told that the Gwent Police officer was acting within the law when issuing the fine, Mr Sterry said: "I think it's silly.

"You should be allowed to display your national flag if you want to - it doesn't cover the registration."

Mr Sterry, whose number plate has displayed the Welsh dragon number plates since buying the vehicle second-hand two years ago, described the police's actions as "really picky".

"I've seen loads of number plates like that around here, you see them everywhere," he said.

A spokeswoman for Gwent Police said: "Each case is judged on an individual basis. Where an appeal is made, we use our discretion and look at the particular circumstances in reaching a decision. An officer can issue a ticket for an illegal number plate.

"If anyone has a query with any issue relating to the issuing of fixed penalty tickets, we would urge them to contact us so that we can deal with them directly."

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