Wheel-clamping is now criminal offence if done on private land in England and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, thanks to The Protection of Freedoms Act.
Lord Taylor of Holbeach, the Home Office Minister responsible for changes to vehicle clamping law, said: “This common-sense ban will give motorists the protection they deserve against rogue wheel-clamping and towing companies.
“It will save motorists £55m each year in clamping charges and finally penalise the real criminals – the corrupt firms themselves.”
Licensed clampers Carlton Williams, Lee Stagg and Michael Riddle were sentenced at Taunton Crown Court after admitting blackmail charges over aggressive incidents of bullying from Cheltenham to Taunton that had seen them in one case tow a car with its young woman driver inside.
BPA chief executive Patrick Troy said: “The Protection of Freedoms Act ushers in perhaps the most significant shake-up of the private parking industry ever seen in this country and there is much that we and the government can be proud of.
“However, the regulations do not yet go far enough. An independent appeals service which is not binding on all operators is likely to be a recipe for confusion among motorists and a ban on clamping is no substitute for proper regulation of the industry.
“That being said, the new appeals service, such as it is, will provide a long-overdue layer of protection for motorists who want to know that they no longer have to look to the courts for recourse when they feel that a parking enforcement notice has been unfairly issued.”
Oct, 01, 2012