Government Relents over Contentious Number Plate Sale

Two previously unissued registrations have been pulled from this week's DVLA auction, following a complaint from the charity, Stonewall.

The organisers of the sale, at the Dormy House Hotel in Worcestershire, have been forced to withdraw the lots F4 GOT and D1 KES, which both had reserves of £900. A spokesman said: "We have a responsibility to ensure that the combinations used on registration marks do not cause general upset or offence."

Critics of the decision point out, however, that the most likely buyer would, surely, have been someone possessed of nothing more sinister than a wicked a sense of humour and taste for irony. And it does seem highly unlikely that even the fiercest bigot would go to all the trouble of registering and displaying one of the plates simply in order incite mischief or offence.

Stonewall, which is supported by many leading showbiz names, regrets that the plates were ever made available in the first place. But it may be that its admirable intentions will have succeeded merely in drawing attention to the proposed sales, which may have otherwise passed without comment.

The DVLA, of course, is charged with an impossible task when it comes to monitoring the random sequences characters which will, inevitably, give rise to some controversial combinations. In an earlier article, we discussed the subject in some detail. However, it seems almost inconceivable that no-one appears to have even questioned the wisdom of including these latest examples in the sale until now.

Political Plate Raises Censorship Issues

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