Car numberplates make Guernsey States £100,000

The 007 numberplate is expected to generate a lot of interest when it comes on the market

Releasing new numberplates to islanders has generated more than £100,000 for the States of Guernsey.

Plates with the prefixes 0 and 00 have been sold at auction in the past year by the Environment Department.

Minister Peter Sirett said they were being released slowly to maintain popularity.

He said four or five had been released at a time so the market would not be flooded and to build the expectation of what was being auctioned next.

When the sale of the plates was announced it was estimated the department would make £1m from the auctions.

One particular number and its link to James Bond is expected to generate the majority of this amount.

Deputy Sirett said: "I have a feeling that when 007 comes on the market we'll see a lot of substantial interest for that one numberplate."