A cash-strapped Scots council has sent out a rallying cry for Harry Styles to help plug an expected £30m budget gap.
East Renfrewshire Council chiefs are calling for the former One Direction star to help ease their money problems and buy a private number plate from them with the initials ‘HS 0’.
The local authority was given the plate decades ago and it’s not been in use since 2022.
Now bosses have come up with a quirky plan to cash in on the gift - and they reckon they could get a six-figure sum if they find the right buyer.
An East Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: "In light of the Council’s difficult financial situation all opportunities to generate income need to be considered. The sale of the Council 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.”
Council chiefs have also flagged other famous faces who might be keen to purchase their special number plate - with Strictly Come Dancing finalist and former Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton also thrown into the mix.
Stoke City footballer Harry Souttar, who hails from Aberdeen but represented Australia at the 2022 World Cup, may also be in for a shout.
But whoever was to snap up the ‘HS 0’ registration would be taking ownership of a very rare plate as most registration numbers will start from ‘1’.
When the first system of motor vehicle registration was introduced in the 1900s, a one or two letter prefix followed by a number with up to four digits was used to indicate which local authority issued the registration mark. HS was the prefix used for Renfrewshire.
Councillors will consider the proposal to proceed with the sale of the registration plate at a Cabinet meeting on January 26. If agreed, plans will then be taken forward to sell the plate at auction, with an appropriate reserve set to protect the Council’s interests.
The East Renfrewshire Council spokesperson added: “The Council is facing extremely difficult financial circumstances. To address these, and to mitigate their impact, every avenue is being explored in relation to generating efficiencies, charging for services and other ways of generating income.”
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