Well i can now answer my own question GERMAN PLATES ARE ILLEGAL because i got stopped today. They were pretty fair with me because i pleaded ignorance and said i was not aware they were illegal and that i was very sorry. Think they may have been sympathetic towards me seeing as i had just been at a funeral and was still wearing a white shirt and black tie. I said i was realy sorry at which point he said "have u been drinking son" i said yes and he said "do u mind giving a breath sample" i said no bother and blew a reading of zero after a pint and a half I was then sent on my way and told to