"Anti Gay" Number Plates Withdrawn from Sale

The DVLA's number plate auctions often attract publicity when controversial numbers come up for sale - but red-faced officials found themselves being accused of allowing "homophobic" number plates to reach sale. Gay rights association Stonewall drew attention to an auction where the number plates 'D1 KES' and 'F4 GOT' were due to be sold, leading to a hasty withdrawal by the DVLA.

There are over 1000 number plates that are banned because of their supposedly 'offensive' nature. This includes such abstruse examples as 'TE57 CLE', banned due to its supposed likeness to 'testicle'.

Truthfully, as long as truly personalised plates aren't allowed in the UK, these kind of serendipitous phrases and words will remain rare. It is unclear why the prevention of 'offense' falls within the remit of the DVLA, but since the inception of number plates in 1903, they've been banning number plates for all kinds of reasons. To put the silliness of this into perspective, a look at the kinds of bumper stickers sported by cars on the nation's road should put paid to the idea that banning particular number plates will lift the tone of the country.

The notion that plates like this could even be used as expressions of pride rather hate has, of course, also totally escaped both the DVLA and Stonewall - who frankly should know better.