But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Alex Eckford looks at more controversial plates, and why getting a personalised number plate might not be as difficult as you think.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has changed Edinburgh's proposed 'SN07' plates to 'TN07' because of the former's resemblance to the word 'snot'.

It makes the new registration the only one in Scotland not to begin with the letter 'S'.

It's not the first plate to be outlawed by the DVLA, and not the only risqué plate to appear on the UK's roads.

Last year the number plate 'H8 GAY' was withdrawn by the agency after then Transport Secretary Alastair Darling ordered them to reverse their decision not to ban the plate.

Number plate company Reg Transfers currently has a selection of rude plates available for purchase, including ORG 45M and FU 1, both priced at a whopping £150,000.

If that's beyond your budget, the next most expensive plates are PEN 15 for £99,995 and ORG 4N for £34,995.

Here's a selection of other close-to-the-knuckle registrations:

STR 11P
L4 TEX
BO51 FKR
ME51 FKR
ME51 COW
NO51 COW
DO51 COW
B11 XOM
P1 MPP
OO05 LUT
DO51 BAG
AR51 GYT
LA51 DOG
AR51 DLE
FAR 7Y

How to buy a personalised number plate

Want to get you hands on a personalised plate? It's simpler than you think.

Firstly, you'll need your logbook (also known as the V5C document), your MOT certificate and a copy of your tax disc or a note of your current expiry date.

As well as the individual cost of your chosen plate, you'll need to pay a transfer fee (plus a possible extra cost of the plate is to be held on retention with a certificate). And that's it.

Do you have an interesting number plate? Email your pictures to us at editorial@autotrader.co.uk.

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