darker practice ... England ... duplicate plates (Score 1)

Er, no.

Making duplicate plates is hard work. What those people do is mostly steal your plates. It is vital to report such thefts immediately to avoid being held accountable oneself for assorted traffic offences committed by the thieves.

In principle, one ought to be able to demand in court that the prosecution's images be shown, and then contest them. In the UK, this causes the prosecution to allege that you have modified your vehicle in an attempt to avoid conviction. This sort of thing continues in spite of high profile cases where someone is charged with speeding offences in a part of the country entirely different to the remote location where one uses one's tractor.

So yes, it is entirely possible both to obey the law and fulfil your social responsibilities, and yet still get prosecuted.

Automatic numberplate recognition is wonderful -- but it should be an addition to policing, not a replacement.