A police officer serving...

A police officer serving in the north of England, who wishes to remain anonymous, told Auto Express that the confusion arises when two types of plate look very similar - for example LS51 ABC and L551 ABC.

He said: "At this time of year, with dirt on the roads and on people"s cars, it can be difficult to distinguish between the two formats, especially if the plate contains either a letter "S" or a "5"."

According to our source, Cheshire Police gets at least one complaint a day from a motorist who believes he has been wrongly accused in this manner.

Policy spokesman at the AA Paul Watters told us: "This is a problem we"re aware of. It"s imperative that motorists keep their number plates clean at this time of year to avoid this type of confusion, especially as driving with a dirty plate is an offence in itself."

But the National Safety Camera Partnership, which oversees Gatso use in Britain, reckons mistaken identity like this is rare. Spokeswoman Susan Beck told us: "We have checked with officers overseeing the cameras in Cheshire, and they"re not aware of any specific problems with incidents in the area - certainly not any more so than in other parts of the country." She added that occasional mistakes did get made with notices of intended prosecution. But if they were genuine and the recipient complained, then no further action was taken.

We"ve also learned the fines aren"t only related to speed cameras; London"s congestion charge enforcement units and crime prevention vans have also been picked out for criticism. The AA"s Paul Watters added: "The photo and vehicle details should be cross- checked before the fine is sent out, and we"d encourage the country"s forces to carefully examine pictures beforehand - a policy which most already adhere to."

If anyone receives a fine that they don"t think relates to them, they should make sure they write to the issuing authority stating their case and giving details of their car.