Drivers in England who have had their number plates made up with illegal spacing or characters face a much higher chance of capture now. Although not intended for that use, the new automatic number plate recognition cameras, whose primary function is to detect uninsured drivers, also detects illegal number plates. Offending cars are swiftly pulled into the side of the road and penalties ( up to ?1000 fine ) are issued. The owner will also need to replace the plates with legal ones and visit an MOT testing station for verification before reporting to his nearest police station.