Clampers hand out huge fines as ban edges closer

With a Bill to outlaw the clampers already going through Parliament, one Hampshire woman was hit with a £420 fine for parking in a visitor space at the block of flats where she lives.

Beverley George was told to hand over the money or watch her car being towed away.

Clampers from Whites Car Park Solutions charged her a £150 release fee and added a £250 levy for calling out a tow truck which was not needed.

She had to part with an extra £20 for paying by card over the phone.

The tearful 24-year-old was unable to pay on the spot and had to call her dad Chris George for help.

Beverley had driven to her flat at 5.30am to have a shower before heading out to work. Instead of using her own allocated spot she used a visitor space which was closer to her front door – avoiding a longer walk alone in the dark.

But rules state there is no return to guest parking within 48 hours at the Alexander Square flats in Twyford Road, Eastleigh, and she had done the same thing the morning before.

When she returned to her car 40 minutes later, she found clampers preparing to remove it.

The company says its actions were justified because of clear signs stating the parking rules and that she has the right to appeal.

But Beverley, a prison custody officer, said: “It is ridiculous – especially at that time in the morning. I was crying so much I could barely talk. When he said £400 I was devastated, I did not know how I was going to pay it.”

Eastleigh councillor Chris Thomas described the fee was “unjustified” and “exorbitant”.

He said: “It is totally unacceptable and unnecessary.

I’m sure they could come up with something that is workable and would solve parking problems other than issuing huge fines.”

Bartley Management Ltd, which runs the flats, said residents had asked for parking enforcement to be introduced to tackle parking problems.

A spokesman added: “If residents adhere to the lease, nobody will be clamped or see their car towed away.”

A spokesman for Whites said a tow truck had been summoned attracting the higher fee and that signs explaining the parking rules were attached to doors in the flats complex.

The case has led to warnings by the country’s biggest motoring organisation and residents’ groups that clampers may be embarking on a final spree before their businesses are outlawed.

Andrew Howard, from the Hampshire-based AA, said: “The clampers will be drinking in the last chance saloon and looking for opportunities before the bar shuts.

“They have all the equipment and the jobs in the system as it currently is. But people will be trying to make as much money as they can before the door closes.”

His warning comes just two months after around 30 drivers had their cars clamped in one day amid angry scenes on a Southampton street.

Police were called as furious motorists argued with clampers brought in by the Vets4Pets surgery in Spring Road to keep its car park clear.

Signs warned of release fees of £150 for private vehicles, £180 for commercial vehicles and £250 extra charges if a tow truck is called with storage at £35 a day and a five per cent charge for card payments.

Peter Wirgman, from the Southampton Federation of Residents’ Associations, said: “There may be cases of clampers coming in before the gate shuts. We have all heard of jobsworths clamping drivers for being a few minutes late, which is unreasonable.

“I would hope the new rules come in as quickly as possible.”

Southampton Itchen MP John Denham has backed calls for a review of rules governing the industry.

He said: “My view is that you need proper regulation – most of the problems have been caused by cowboy clampers.

If you can deal with the abuse in the industry, you could get the right balance.”

However the parking industry has branded the proposed ban “a charter for the selfish parker”, claiming it would remove a last resort of landowners faced with persistent parking offenders and ticket evaders.

A spokesman from the British Parking Association (BPA) said: “We believe that a blanket ban on clamping and towing away on private land, will not only fail to solve the problem, it will compound it.

“Property owners simply cannot function without the right to remove vehicles which may be obstructing emergency exits, blocking disabled or mother and child parking bays and even parking across their front drive.

“In addition, the BPA believes that a total ban will not prevent motorists from being defrauded but will merely encourage rogue operators to increase the frequency of indiscriminate and disproportionate ticketing, which many motorists may be intimidated into paying.

“Therefore, we believe that the only practical solution lies in regulation of clamping, towing and ticketing on private land which in turn gives property owners the right to protect their homes offices and commercial properties.”