Police sell rare number plate for a pittance

A RARE number plate belonging to a police force has been sold privately at a potential sixfigure loss.

Police Commissioner John Campion sold the AB 1 plate, pictured, for £160,000 – despite a guide price of £175,000 and predictions it could fetch up to £500,000 at public auction.

Mr Campion, of West Mercia Police, was accused by former officers of flogging the ‘crown jewels’ by selling the plate to the force’s former chief constable Paul West. Mr Campion had said he wanted to raise funds for the force, despite revealing eight months ago that it was sitting on budget reserves of £50.7million.

The plate has been used on the chief constable’s car since 1903, when it was issued to the force, but it was removed six years ago for security reasons.

Mr West said the private sale meant the force did not lose out on money going to the dealer as commission.