Certain UK drivers will be forced to make major number plate changes under a new European Union rule on road safety.

Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo will ditch their unique off-centre number plate designs on future models due to new driving laws pedestrian safety.

It means new vehicles produced by the firm including the upcoming next-generation Giulia and Stelvio designs will feature centrally mounted plates.

Alfa Romeo has a tendency to place their number plates on the side of the front to make sure the grille is left untouched.

The unique design concept first started with the Giulietta Spider design back in 1955 and remains to this day on some of the brand’s iconic models.

However, a new European Union ruling has brought down the axe on the tradition which could be a blow to thousands of Alfa Romeo fans in the UK.

Alfa Romeo’s design chief Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos confirmed the move while speaking to Autocar.

He explained: “We cannot put the number plate on the side any more because of the homologation regulations for pedestrian [safety].”

He accepted that “Some die-hard Alfisti” would be unhappy with the number plate unless it was on the side.

According to statistics from How Many Left, there are thought to be around 75,000 registered Alfa Romeo owners in the UK.

This is down from a peak of over 100,000 models back in the noughties and early 2010s.

The new ruling will not impact existing vehicles with only brand new Alfa Romeo models forced to follow the new guidelines.

It means it could take some time before the new design interpretation is felt by the majority of Alfa Romeo fans.

The EU’s new General Safety Regulations have been introduced to better protect pedestrians if they are hit by vehicles.

The new ruling includes changes to car front designs which are aimed at minimising injury during collisions.

However, Alfa Romeo has stressed there are already “plenty” of models already in their range which have the plates fitted in the middle of the chassis.

Alejandro added: “This will allow us to have symmetry anyway, so I am happy - I’m one of the guys who likes the plate in the middle.”