A YOUNG Thurrock motorcyclist who tried to avoid a speeding ticket by hiding his number plate has been brought to justice following a detailed investigation by Essex Police's Roads Safety Team.

On the evening of 31 August last year, a speed enforcement camera recorded a motorcycle travelling at 51mph in a 30mph zone on South Road, South Ockendon but the rear number plate was not visible.

Officers quickly identified that the bike's registration plate had been deliberately "flipped", preventing it from being read.

Using the wider camera network, officers were able to trace the route of the motorcycle and identify its registration number. Comparable images showed the same rider wearing distinctive boots and a helmet using the same bike travelling earlier that day.

A Notice of Intended Prosecution was sent to the registered owner. He responded by falsely claiming his motorcycle had been cloned.

However, the bike's owner, provisional licence holder Jack Beckwith, was arrested in October 2025 on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, speeding, and licence offences.

When officers attended his home address, they found the motorcycle in the rear garden along with the distinctive clothing seen in the images. The bike was fitted with a smaller, non-compliant number plate and no L plate. Nearby, officers located a larger legal plate and tools.

Officers witnessed the motorcycle had been fitted with a hinged bracket mechanism which allowed the number plate to be flipped and hidden from view, as seen in the speed camera footage.

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During interview, Beckwith admitted he was the rider and that he had falsely claimed the vehicle was cloned in an attempt to avoid prosecution.

At Basildon Crown Court, Beckwith of Daiglen Drive, South Ockendon, was sentenced for perverting the course of justice. The 18-year-old received a 12-month community order and a 12-week overnight curfew. He was also fined £150 and had his licence endorsed with three penalty points for speeding and the court awarded costs.

The offence of not displaying L plates was left to lie on file.

A "flipped" plate enables a rider to physically hide or tilt their number plate so it cannot be read by cameras.

PC Paul Simmons said: "Using any method to obscure a number plate is illegal and is often used by people trying to evade justice for offences such as speeding or dangerous driving.

"Number plates are there to identify vehicles and keep people accountable on our roads. Deliberately hiding them undermines road safety and will not be tolerated."