Stolen Vehicle recovered.

Dear Resident,

Stolen Vehicle Recovered in Leigh

Following a report from a member of the public regarding an abandoned vehicle, officers attended the location and carried out a series of checks. These checks revealed that the vehicle had been reported stolen from Salford on 12/05/2026.

Further enquiries indicated that the offenders had either created or stolen registration plates from an identical vehicle and fitted them to the stolen vehicle. This is commonly known as using "cloned plates."

What Are Cloned Plates?

Cloned plates are registration plates that have been copied from a legitimate vehicle and placed on another vehicle, often for criminal purposes.

Why Do Criminals Use Cloned Plates?

Avoiding Detection
Cloned plates can help offenders evade detection by police cameras and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems, making it more difficult for law enforcement to identify the vehicle involved.

Concealing Criminal Activity
By using cloned plates, offenders can commit offences while reducing the risk of the vehicle being traced back to them. Any fines, penalties, or enquiries may initially be directed towards the innocent registered keeper of the genuine vehicle.

Vehicle Cloning and Fraud
In some cases, cloned vehicles are used to facilitate further criminal activity or are sold to unsuspecting buyers who are unaware that the vehicle's identity has been compromised.

The use of cloned plates is a growing concern. It undermines police efforts to tackle crime and can result in significant inconvenience, financial loss, and legal complications for the genuine vehicle owner.

How You Can Help

If you are aware of any suspicious vehicles that have been parked in the same location for an extended period, or vehicles that appear out of place and are not known locally, please report them to police.

You can contact Greater Manchester Police by:

Alternatively, information can be provided completely anonymously through:

Security Number Plate Screws

We often have a supply of security number plate screws available at our Police Surgeries in Leigh Town Centre. These screws can help deter the theft of registration plates.

Upcoming surgery dates are advertised on Bee in the Loop prior to the events taking place.

Thank you to the member of the public whose report helped us recover this stolen vehicle. Your vigilance plays an important role in keeping our communities safe.

Stay Safe, and Secure!