A stunned married couple had their personalised number plate ‘banned’ by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) DVLA, amidst concerns it could be offensive. John and Jackie Cooke, from North Bristol, owned the plate for nearly three decades before it was allegedly rescinded on grounds of ‘political, racial or religious sensitivities’.
The contentious plate bears the registration ‘N14 GAS’, a tribute to their beloved football team, Bristol Rovers, translating to ‘Number one for the Gas’. Although the DVLA reportedly believes it could be mistaken for a racial slur, the couple ‘can’t see how it can possibly be offensive’ and even claim the original idea came from DVLA staff.
In an interview with BristolLive, Jackie said: “In 27 years, no one has ever complained about this registration number being offensive. In fact, we can’t see how it can possibly be offensive!
“I have asked the DVLA to explain why it is offensive, but as yet haven’t received a reply. The DVLA removed ‘N14GAS’ from the GOV website on Dec 4, before informing my husband, who is the registered keeper, so that must be an offence in itself.
“Our car registration was changed back to the original registration number, which we were totally unaware of, as the letter from the DVLA only arrived late in the day on Dec 7.”
Bristol Rovers fans Jackie and John Cooke have had this number plate since 1997 – it symbolises ‘Number one for the Gas’, the Gas being the football club’s nickname
(Image: Jackie and John Cooke)
According to a letter from the DVLA, seen by BristolLive, the registration’s cancellation was due to its ‘potentially offensive nature’, with the couple instructed that a new number plate should be fitted promptly.
“By law, the Secretary of State can revoke the right to display a vehicle registration number, if it appears to him that there are special reasons for doing so,” the letter adds. “Given the potentially offensive nature of this vehicle registration number, a decision has been taken to withdraw it from use.
“…Before a new range of registration numbers are issued or are made available under the Personalised Registration scheme, DVLA tries to identify combinations that may cause offence.
“On occasions where the Agency is made aware that a potentially offensive registration number has been released in error, steps are immediately taken to withdraw it. I realise that the decision to withdraw this registration number will be disappointing to you.
“However, the Agency adopts a clear policy of withdrawing potentially offensive registration numbers either from normal issue or from its sales scheme. Such marks are withdrawn if they are likely to cause offence or embarrassment to the general population in this country on the grounds of political, racial and religious sensitivities, or simply because they are in poor taste.”
John and Jackie were left astonished when the DVLA informed them that as compensation for the withdrawal of their personalised number plate, which cost them £250 back in 1997, they could select a new registration worth the same amount. Jackie added: “We still have the receipt, no mention is made of inflation. We are incensed that we are to lose our treasured car registration and it is seriously affecting our mental health.”
The pair were later given the option of choosing the alternative plate ‘JJ64GAS’, which they accepted on a temporary basis while holding out hope for the return of their original number.
Upon contacting her local MP recently, Jackie added that her MP told her that the registration number could be misconstrued as a certain offensive word. BristolLive has contacted the DVLA for comment on this matter.