Thousands of potential car owners have decided to put off buying a new car from September as they don’t want to own a 69 registration plate.

However, there is also a large number of UK customers rushing to own one, suggesting the British public is rather risque when it comes to naughty number plates.

According to CarWow, 31 per cent of British buyers are keen to own the new number, though 20 per cent say they would rather wait until March to avoid the embarrassment.

"The ‘69’ registration plates have inspired the cheekier motorists amongst us into thinking it might be time to invest in new wheels," said Vix Leyton, motoring expert at carwow.

“People are always looking at ways to personalise their car, with modern young drivers seeing their car as an extension of who they are and a reflection of their status, so it's no surprise to see how many vanity plates are on the road."

The research suggests that drivers in the North West are most likely to demand a sexy number plate, however those in the North East are a little more reserved.

But those wanting to combine the number 69 with something even more choice, might find themselves disappointed as the DVLA will restrict obscene messages on plates.

A DVLA spokesperson said: “The vast majority of registration numbers are made available but the Agency holds back any combinations that may cause offence, embarrassment or are in poor taste.

“Many people enjoy displaying a personalised registration number and there are over 50 million registrations available on our website, with almost endless possibilities of combinations to suit a person’s taste, interests and budget.”

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