For some it's football stickers, for others rare coins, but for one Hempnall man his passion lies with number plates – and he now has a collection of nearly 200.

Eastern Daily Press: Zak Nelson's collection of vehicle number plates from around the world. A Canadian plate.Picture: ANTONY KELLYZak Nelson's collection of vehicle number plates from around the world. A Canadian plate.Picture: ANTONY KELLY (Image: Archant Norfolk 2016)

Zak Nelson, 21, started collecting the plates in 2008 while on holiday with his family.

'We were driving through Europe and I noticed they were all different,' Mr Nelson, an apprentice storesman, said.

He did some research and found all different kinds of plates, and from then he was hooked.

'I started off taking photos of them and then thought, why don't I go one better and collect them?

'The last time I counted a couple of years ago I had between 150 and 200.'

He's now confirmed his grand total is 191 - and rising.

Now Mr Nelson's family and friends know exactly what to get him for birthdays and Christmas – but might struggle to find a plate he doesn't have.

His collection boasts plates from Canada, Japan and Saudi Arabia among others.

'I like the ones which are rare, like from a small country or one from far away,' he said.

He added the Saudi Arabian plate was particularly interesting, as the writing was in Arabic and our Latin alphabet.

'It's so if they drive outside of Asia, others can understand it.'

But Mr Nelson is humble about his hoard, and says people online have far more than him.

Now, he's started to swap and sell his duplicate plates for more and more unique examples.

And hopes he can continue to grow his collection in coming years.