A BOOMING market for personalised licence plates, some worth more than the cars they register, has raised more than #500m for the government in the last 12 years.

Prestigious plates, such as K1 NGS and 1 A, have set world records when sold at auction, said the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, which started selling the plates in 1989.

K1 NGS, which fetched #231,000 in December 1993, remains the most expensive registration plate ever sold, followed by 1A which raised #200,000 at auction. Other top prices have included #108,000 for S1 NGH, and #106,000 for 1 RR.

An Aston Martin owner paid #76,000 for A5 TON, while an airline captain spent #82,500 on P1 LOT. On Thursday, W1 TCH sold at auction for #26,500.

All money raised from the sale of plates by the DVLA goes to the Treasury.

Louise Pierpoint, publicity manager for the DVLA sale, said: ''We now sell over 100,000 marks each year through our auctions and select registrations services, and their popularity continues to grow.

''We've seen a big increase in the number of businesses using them to promote their brands, products, and services, and many more people seem to be buying them as gifts.''

The DVLA offers a website-based search facility that can identify all available marks at www.dvla-som.co.uk, where details of auctions can be found.

The top 10

1.K1 NGS#231,000

2.1A#200,000

3.S1 NGH#108,000

4.1 RR#106,000

5.1 S#100,000

6.G1 LLY #87,500

7.P1 LOT #82,500

8.1 DM #82,000

9.COL 1N #76,500

10.A5 TON #76,000