Clamping - an expensive business for motorists

Clampers

Finding somewhere to park in a busy town centre isn't always easy.

It's little wonder that some drivers are tempted to park illegally on private land.

But as many soon discover, it can cost them dearly.

The job of policing private land is in the hands of clamping firms.

But there's little regulation over what they can and can't do, nor how much they charge.

Motorists accuse them of extortionate fees, and cowboy practices.

But are they just doing their job?

Tougher action needed?

Inside Out has secretly filmed a clamping firm in action to find out what really goes on behind the scenes.

Our secret filming shows a clamping firm towing away car after car in Cheltenham, and charging drivers hundreds of pounds to get them back.

Our Inside Out car was spotted eight minutes after an actress parked it illegally in Baynham Way in Cheltenham.

Clamping can cost a driver £300 in fees

Ninety seconds later the Midlands Parking Contracts (MPC) clamping team was preparing to winch it onto a tow truck.

Our actress immediately returned to the car and was told to pay the £295 'towing fee' in cash - even though the car had not yet been towed away.

She told the firm that she couldn't raise that much cash but offered to pay by card.

The company told her it doesn't accept cards, and the car was towed away.

Two days later we handed over £375 in cash (£295 plus £80 for two days storage) at a meeting in a motorway service station car park, before being allowed to see our car.

After handing over the money the car was dropped off a few minutes later.

None of the above is illegal.

We asked Clive Rudd, Contracts Manager for Midland Parking Contracts why our car in Cheltenham was towed away within minutes, rather than clamped:

"Clamping alone doesn't solve the problem for the landowner. They need that space for the customers coming into the snooker club. We make less money from towing away than we do from clamping, because there's more people involved in it."

Illegal parking

Yvonne Randall left her car parked illegally for three minutes.

When she returned it was being lifted on to the tow truck and she was charged £295 for it to be released.

Her partner Richard Hatton says, "The charge or the fine has to be commensurate with the offence or crime which has been committed.

Clive Rudd responded to drivers' criticisms

"For three minutes parking £295 is excessive. It's like being mugged without the violence. It's simple extortion."

Inside Out spoke to 13 motorists who complained about clamping firm Midlands Parking Contracts.

The motorists were clamped or towed away in Leamington Spa, Cheltenham, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster and Worcester.

We asked Clive Rudd, Contracts Manager for Midland Parking Contracts if this is just a this licence to print money?

"We do make a profit, otherwise we wouldn't be in business. But it's not a licence to print money," he said.

In response to the lack of card facilities, he said:

"We've had the facilities in the van, and it just has not worked. The computers go down, and it's just crazy."

But clamping has some supporters in the community.

Richard Scott, pub landlord at Ye Olde Black Cross in Bromsgrove hired MPC after problems with shoppers using his car park.

"It's very useful for people to be able to just abandon their vehicle and go shopping around the town," he says.

"While they're not using my business they're no use to me.

"I do feel for some of the people who've been clamped, but they've just ignored the some 11 signs around the car park."

Trading standards

Birmingham Trading Standards is attempting to crack down on the behaviour of clamping firms operating in Birmingham.

Tougher legislation needed says Trading Standards' Chris Neville

It has begun to patrol clamping hotspots, challenging clamping firms on any points of law which they can.

It's also putting up larger signs warning motorists more clearly that clamping could take place.

Chris Neville, one of its Trading Standards Officer, says:

"We've had for a number of years now complaints about wheel-clampers.

"But it's definitely on the up - it's getting more and more. And I think the tactics they're using are getting more and more audacious.

"They're clamping in circumstances where they might not have clamped before, and the amounts of money they're charging are just getting higher and higher.

"What we really need is legislation to say for certain what clampers must do, and what the public can expect from them."

Messy situation

The motoring group RAC claims that the current law is a mess and requires a review.

Sheila Rainger from the RAC Foundation says:

"We're very concerned that the industry is very poorly regulated.

"There are no legally enforceable rules about how clear the signs have to be, how large the fees can be, or when the tow-truck ought to be called out.

"Worst of all there is no independent body to which you can appeal. We find that unscrupulous firms abuse this and use it as a licence to print money."

As a result the RAC has set up its own clamping award designed to highlight cowboy operators.

But it remains to be seen whether further regulation will be forthcoming at a national level to control cowboy clampers in our towns and cities.

Dick Turpin Award

To nominate a clamper for the RAC Foundation's Dick Turpin clamping award - email cowboyclampers@racfoundation.co.uk

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Links relating to this story:

• Security Industry Association
• Trading Standards
• RAC Foundation's Dick Turpin Award

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