Lib Dem President backs safer number plates scheme

12.00.00am GMT Tue 7th Oct 2008

Liberal Democrat President Simon Hughes MP has backed colleagues in their call for all Heywood residents to come and get their car number plates secured.

Mr Hughes was speaking from Heywood Market, where local PCSO's were on hand to fit resident's car plates with anti-tamper screws and give out some handy tips in a bid to cut down car crime.

Mr Hughes said: "I had a brief chat with Julie, one of the local PCSO's that was carrying out the work. I was very troubled to hear about the amount of stolen number plates that were being used for criminal activity. Crimes ranging from stealing petrol from petrol pumps to armed robberies. It is clearly a growing problem. Putting these new secure number plates on is a great deterrent. It's a practical, sensible solution that everyone in Heywood should try and make time to do.

Mr Hughes went on to commend the hard work of the Police Community Support Officers saying: "PCSOs certainly have a vital role to play in our communities. The safer car number plate drive is the perfect example of this. This is exactly the sort of jobs they should be doing. It doesn't lead to our front line police officers being tied up which results in them being allowed to concentrate their efforts on fighting crime on our streets and that is the way it should be."

Heywood North Councillor Doreen Brophy-Lee said: "In the majority of cases number plates are stolen overnight and I would like to urge the people of Heywood to go along with their vehicles to have their number plates secured for free. We want to cut crime in Heywood and this simple measure will greatly reduce the chance of your number plate being targeted by criminals and also saves people a lot of worry."