East Renfrewshire Council to sell rare number plate to raise funds

A Scottish council is planning to sell a rare car registration plate to help plug a funding shortfall.

East Renfrewshire Council hopes HS 0 could fetch six-figures at auction.

The council hopes celebrities with the initials HS, such as singer Harry Styles or TV presenter Helen Skelton, might be interested in buying it.

Local politicians said they were facing "extremely difficult" financial issues, including an expected £30m budget gap over the next three years.

The plate has not been in use since the lease on the council's car ended in 2022.

One dealer told BBC Scotland it could go under the hammer for about £250,000.

Richard Walker, managing director at Grand Plates in Darvel, East Ayrshire, said: "It's never going to go for less than £150,000 if it's auctioned, because it's been hidden away for so many years."

"If someone has a lot of money and the initials you might find they'll pay a lot of money for it.

"They might have been waiting for it their whole life."

The local authority inherited HS 0 plate from the former Eastwood District Council.

When the first system of motor vehicle registration was introduced in the 1900s, a one or two letter prefix was followed by a number with up to four digits.

The prefix was used to indicate which local authority issued the registration mark. HS was used for Renfrewshire.

Nearby, Glasgow City Council was given the unique G 0 plate.

Mr Walker said the plate's low character count and lone 0 figure made it attractive to potential buyers.

"Effectively, they call them a council reg, so it's never been in anyone else's hands," he said.

"That puts some desirability into it."

In October, East Renfrewshire Council leader Owen O'Donnell warned that the local authority would find it "very difficult" to bridge a £30m budget gap over the following three years.

A council spokesperson said: "The sale of the registration HS 0 presents the opportunity to generate a sizeable sum.

"In current circumstances it would be imprudent not to consider the sale of something which serves no real purpose and which, arguably, would be viewed by many as an unnecessary extravagance."

Councillors will consider proposals to auction the plate at a cabinet meeting next Thursday.