North Yorkshire Police's licence plate sale to fund road schemes

The plate reading AJ1 has been used by North Yorkshire's chief constables for more than a century

The sale of a vehicle registration which was the first licence plate issued in North Yorkshire will fund 90 road safety schemes across the county.

The AJ1 plate was first used in 1907 by the chief constable of the then North Riding Constabulary.

After more than a century of use by the force, it was auctioned off in 2019 for £243,000.

The "AJ1 fund" will focus on improving the safety of children, cyclists, motorcyclists and older road users.

The licence plate adorned Maj Sir Robert Bowyer's Argyll car

The plate was first registered on 6 December 1907 and placed on Maj Sir Robert Bowyer's single-cylinder Argyll car.

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The identity of the buyer was not disclosed by auctioneers.

Community groups, parish and town councils in the county were invited to put forward road safety schemes which could benefit from the fund.

Julia Mulligan, police, fire and crime commissioner for the county, said: "Communities across North Yorkshire and York tell me that improving the safety of the roads where they live is one of their main priorities, so I am pleased by the number and quality of the applications that were put forward to the AJ1 fund."

Part of the money will help improve the memorial garden at North Yorkshire Police's headquarters at Alverton Court in Northallerton.