Reg News

A man who describes himself as ‘the original Del Boy’ has splashed £35,000 on the number plate DE11 BOY. The amazing price is more than 11 times the reserve price, which was set at £3,000. But that’s what happens when the right plate finds the right buyer. Chris Dawson started life, like the fictional Derek Trotter, as a market trader. Unlike Trotter, however, Chris didn’t have to find an old watch and sell it to become a millionaire – he worked his way up to the top, and now owns a chain of stores. It was a publicity stunt for that chain that led to the photograph above, and not the purchase of the plate; in the picture above, Chris is standing with the UK’s leading David Jason lookalike. Chris was in Marbella closing a property deal when the DVLA auction for the plate happened in Hertfordshire, so he phoned his bid in. “I just couldn’t resist buying it,” he said. “Those who know me know I’m always up for a laugh and, well, my reputation as the original Del Boy is well known. It’s the perfect investment.”

Jason Russell advertising BO11AXS for sale on a £175,000 Lamborghini Gallardo