IT WAS hardly in the Christmas spirit.
Drivers forced to abandon their cars in blizzard conditions returned the next morning to find they had been clamped.
Scrooge-like Cobra Security left motorists in the freezing cold of a pub car park for four hours.
It is believed five people were clamped in total and made to pay at least £150 each to be released The pub, The Roebuck Inn in Winchester, is not even open at the moment. It was shut several weeks ago for renovations and is not due to re-open until the new year under new ownership.
Motorists Warren Kitley and Andy Quick gave up the struggle to get home up the hill on Stockbridge Road on Monday night as it was too dangerous to drive on.
They left their cars at the pub where warning signs about the clamping operation had been covered by snow.
After finally having his Ford Focus released yesterday, Warren had just 45 minutes to make his ferry in Portsmouth, taking him over to France for Christmas.
The 26-year-old PE teacher described the clamping as an absolute joke. He said: “Where’s the Christmas spirit gone? Obviously the clampers don’t have any.
“They’re preying on the fact that the country is coming to a halt and have obviously come out to do it when the weather is so bad to put the clamps on.
“It’s all you need three days before Christmas, another £150 coming out of the bank account.”
Additional reporting by Chris Harris
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel