Chinese man loses driving licence after using handwritten plate

A man in central China lost his driving licence after using a handwritten licence plate on the front of his van, according to a local media report.

Police in Changsha, capital of Hunan province, spotted the infringement after pulling over the vehicle in the city’s Yuelu district because of concerns they had about its roadworthiness, Thepaper.cn reported on Tuesday.

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The motorist, surnamed Cao, said he attached the handwritten plate as a temporary measure after the original one fell off.

The officers did not accept that excuse, however, and after finding the real plate inside the van accused Cao of deliberately using the fake one as a way to evade surveillance cameras, the report said.

They said also that one of the letters on the replacement plate was different to the genuine one.

Cao was fined 200 yuan (US$30) and had 12 points deducted from his driving licence, which equates to a suspension.

Police also seized the van pending further investigation, the report said, without elaborating.