You may not think it's a biggie but the BBC article does not correlate with the facts issued last year. I suspect the article is somewhat of a lumping of two entirely different problems under one generalised report.
There was extensive reporting last year on the fact that for millions and especially those over 70 on shorter term licenses that the licence expiry and photo expiry dates are different. It is entirely possible and very easy to have a valid licence with an out of date photo and thus be breaking the law.
Last year I was asked to help an older relative to fill out a driving licence renewal form. Was it difficult, of course not unless the exact renewal as sent by the DVLA had been used without using grey cells (which they appear to lack).
The licence expired the day before the photo's 10 year expiry so had the form been used exactly as intended the resultant valid licence would have been lawful for a whole 24 hours before the £1000 fine for an invalid photo would have been appropriate. They use different forms for photo requirement or not.
If anybody thinks that the DVLA helpline will help, forget it because there are no human beings to ask as it is an automated series of mindless computer generated answers.
The following link and as many others as one would care to search for show that this BBC report is an extrapolation and spin on what is in fact a shambolic system.
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/c...h-20-cost.html