The DVLA has issued a statement after it withdrew a personalised number plate which had been owned by Bristol Rovers fans for almost 30 years. Married couple Jackie and John Cooke, from Frampton Cotterell in North Bristol, purchased the registration number ‘N14 GAS’ in 1997 from the DVLA and say that this exact number was recommended to them by staff there.
As Bristol Rovers supporters, the numbers symbolised ‘Number one for the Gas’, the Gas being the nickname of their favourite footie team. But just before Christmas, the couple, received a letter from the DVLA to say that their number plate had been withdrawn as it is ‘potentially offensive’ and could be read as a racial slur.
The DVLA has now issued a statement on the matter. A DVLA Spokesperson said:“DVLA regularly reviews the appropriateness of registration numbers and withholds any numbers that may cause offence, embarrassment or are in poor taste.
“On the rare occasion where potentially offensive numbers slip through the net, steps are taken to withdraw the registration number.” The DVLA’s rules and policy on personalised number plates also states that when the DVLA is made aware that a registration number is being displayed on a vehicle that may be offensive, consideration is given as to whether it should be withdrawn from use.
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If a decision is taken to withdraw a registration number its records will be updated, and the customer notified. Due to the way the process works, the DVLA advises that there will be a short period between the record being updated and the letter informing the keeper of the change arriving at the keeper’s address.
‘We are incensed’
Jackie Cooke told BristolLive: “In 27 years, no one has ever complained about this registration number being offensive. The DVLA removed ‘N14GAS’ from the GOV website on Dec 4, before informing my husband, who is the registered keeper.
“Our car registration was changed back to the original registration number, which we were totally unaware of, as the letter from the DVLA only arrived late in the day on Dec 7.”
In a letter the couple received, it reads: “The Agency adopts a clear policy of withdrawing potentially offensive registration numbers either from normal issue or from its sales scheme. Such marks are withdrawn if they are likely to cause offence or embarrassment to the general population in this country on the grounds of political, racial and religious sensitivities, or simply because they are in poor taste.”
The DVLA told John and Jackie that they can choose another registration to the value of £250, which was what they paid in 1997. Jackie added: “We still have the receipt, no mention is made of inflation. We are incensed that we are to lose our treasured car registration and it is seriously affecting our mental health.”
Jackie and John later received another letter, dated December 17, detailing an alternative number plate registration ‘JJ64GAS’, which the couple have chosen. They still hope that this will be a temporary measure and their original number plate can be reinstated, however.
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