About 3 weeks ago at 3am I was tootling down the M5 on my way to Bodmin. About a mile from Southwaite services a (presumably) bored copper decided to pull alongside me and indicate that he wanted me to pull into the services.
At the services he told me that because I was’nt displaying a rear British number plate on my trailer he was issuing me with a Fixed Penalty Notice for £30 payable within 28 days.
I was pulling a fridge with a Danish registration plate but the unit was British. I accepted the FPN but did point out that in my opinion it was legal to do what I was doing.
Sent the cheque off a week later and this morning I received 2 letters.
One from Avon and Somerset police cancelling the FPN and one from the Penalty office returning my cheque saying the FPN was cancelled. 
Looks like I was correct or they were feeling particularly charitable.
tezza:
About 3 weeks ago at 3am I was tootling down the M5 on my way to Bodmin. About a mile from Southwaite services a (presumably) bored copper decided to pull alongside me and indicate that he wanted me to pull into the services.
At the services he told me that because I was’nt displaying a rear British number plate on my trailer he was issuing me with a Fixed Penalty Notice for £30 payable within 28 days.
I was pulling a fridge with a Danish registration plate but the unit was British. I accepted the FPN but did point out that in my opinion it was legal to do what I was doing.
Sent the cheque off a week later and this morning I received 2 letters.
One from Avon and Somerset police cancelling the FPN and one from the Penalty office returning my cheque saying the FPN was cancelled.
Looks like I was correct or they were feeling particularly charitable.
That’s good news - I’m not sure I would have been able to pay up and hope they spotted the mistake.
I am a little concerned that they have moved Southwaite services onto the M5 though. I usually stop there on my way up to Carlisle… 
grumpybum:
I am a little concerned that they have moved Southwaite services onto the M5 though. I usually stop there on my way up to Carlisle…
I heard they had moved the M5 to Southwaite services
You were lucky, as you are meant to have a UK plate on the trailer if the tractor unit is UK registered.
Sedgemoor not Southwaite
GBPub:
You were lucky, as you are meant to have a UK plate on the trailer if the tractor unit is UK registered.
Well this is what I hear a lot but I’ve never been able to find where it says this and for what other reason would the fine be cancelled?
Very interesting, I always thought you had to find magicians ways of getting a uk number plate on to the back of a foreign trailer.
Funnily enough, I was doing just what you have described recently and a VOSA car was reversing on to his hidey perch as I went past, must of only saw the rear of my trailer as he flew straight after me like his pants were on fire.
The moment he clocked I was a UK truck and or checked the registration of the unit on his alchemist’s box of tricks, he lost interest and buggered off.
As he pulled in front of me & I waited for the follow me sign to flash up, I thought great, here we go, all this agro just for no rear plate and then hey presto. 
I’d always put one on now anyway, just to shout that you ain’t foreign and aren’t doing a one hitter from Moscow.