Vehicle traced on patrol and found with false plates
Police have recovered a black car in Gomersal that had been reported stolen from the Roberttown area, after roadside checks revealed it was displaying false number plates. Officers from the Kirklees Roads Policing Unit (RPU) located the vehicle while carrying out patrols and subsequently confirmed its stolen status.
West Yorkshire Police said enquiries are continuing to establish the full circumstances around the theft and the use of cloned registration plates. No details have been released about when the vehicle was originally taken, and the force has not confirmed whether any arrests have been made at this stage.
"Officers from the Kirklees Roads Policing Unit recovered the pictured vehicle in the Gomersal area. Checks carried out by officers revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen from the Roberttown area and was displaying false plates. Enquiries are ongoing."
Ongoing work to disrupt vehicle crime
The recovery forms part of the RPU’s routine activity to identify and remove stolen vehicles from the road network across Kirklees. Road policing teams use a mixture of intelligence-led patrols and on-the-spot checks — often supported by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) — to stop cars that raise concerns and to verify vehicle identities.
False or ‘cloned’ plates are commonly used by offenders to mask a vehicle’s identity, allowing it to evade detection by cameras and to be used in further offending. While police have not linked this car to any other crimes, the discovery underscores the risks posed by cloned registrations for both road safety and lawful motorists whose genuine plate numbers can be misused.
What we know so far
| Location recovered | Gomersal |
|---|---|
| Area reported stolen from | Roberttown |
| Unit involved | Kirklees Roads Policing Unit |
| Plates | False number plates identified |
| Investigation status | Enquiries ongoing |
Impact on residents and motorists
For residents in the Spen Valley and wider Kirklees, the incident is a reminder of how quickly stolen vehicles can move around the district and how frequently cloned plates feature in vehicle crime. The use of false registrations can lead to parking fines, speeding notices or congestion charges being wrongly directed at innocent vehicle owners whose details have been copied. Those affected typically need to provide evidence to the issuing body and to the police to contest penalties and to help trace the offending vehicle.
Regular patrols and targeted stops by the local RPU are intended to deter thefts and disrupt vehicles suspected of being on false plates. The unit’s checks — from VIN inspections to insurance and keeper verification — play a central role in recovering stolen cars and returning them to rightful owners once investigations allow.
What drivers can do
Police continue to ask the public to report suspicious activity around vehicles, particularly at night or in locations where cars are often left unattended. Residents can assist by noting descriptions, times and — where safe and lawful — any identifiable features that may help investigators.
- Secure vehicles with multiple layers of protection (factory immobiliser plus visible deterrents such as a steering lock).
- Keep keys, including spare and digital keys, away from doors and windows; consider signal-blocking pouches for keyless entry fobs.
- Check for signs of tampering with plates and report missing or damaged plates immediately.
- When buying a used car, verify the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), service history and MOT records match the registration and seller’s documents.
- Report suspected cloned or stolen vehicles to police via 101 or 999 in an emergency.
How to report information
Anyone with information that could assist the ongoing enquiries into the recovered vehicle can contact West Yorkshire Police via the non-emergency number 101 or online through the force’s reporting channels, quoting any reference provided on local force social media posts if applicable. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers.
Police have not issued further details at this time, but say efforts to identify those responsible and to establish the chain of events that led to the false plates remain active.
