The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has swooped to protect Britain from mechanised filth peddlers who it suspects will exploit the new "57" number plates to mount a terrifying campaign of highway ribaldry.

The new plates will allow drivers to spell "ST" or "SY", opening the floodgates to a torrent of eye-watering obscenity.

According to the Sun, bureaucrats at the agency are particularly concerned by BA57 ARD (Bastard) and TE57 CLE (Testicle), and have deleted them from the list of available registrations.

EC57 ASY (Ecstasy), MY57 ASH (My Stash), H057 AGE (hostage) and HE57 ABS (He stabs) have also been blacklisted, and EA57 GAL (Easy Gal) invoked the censor's pen too.

A DVLA spokesman said the action was taken to avoid "general offence or embarrassment". Quite right too, especially as it's not the first time the agency's had a bit of bother over smut.

Creative use of "57" is welcome in our comments section, however. ®

Bootnote

One office Vulture reports that a San Francisco-based chum's application for a number plate reading "QPR FC" was refused on the grounds of "obscenity".

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