Car clamp nightmare

7:30am Thursday 24th February 2011 in News By Hannah White

Jessica Davey in her clamped car. DB9129P6 Jessica Davey in her clamped car. DB9129P6

A YOUNG carer from Salisbury took a stand against a wheel clamper in an ordeal lasting 30 hours.

Jessica Davey, 22, barricaded herself in her car outside her home at Wesley Court, Harnham, after her vehicle was clamped in the early hours of Monday morning – despite displaying a valid parking permit.

She was worried her Renault Clio would be towed away and she wouldn’t be able to afford to get it back.

For much of the time she was sitting in her car, Miss Davey, who works at Winterbourne Care Home, in London Road, was being watched by clamper Anthony Brindley who was demanding £110 to take the clamp off.

Miss Davey’s pleas for help were ignored by the housing association and by the police, who said that, because it was a civil matter, they were unable to assist her.

However when her boyfriend Simon Baker, 23, tried to take the clamp off and free her car, he was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and taken to Salisbury police station for questioning.

He was later released without charge.

Miss Davey says she had displayed her permit on the dashboard of the car when she parked it in the car park belonging to Sanctuary Shaftesbury housing association.

She discovered the clamp when she tried to go to work at 7am.

Refusing to pay the hefty fine, she decided to shut herself in her car in protest. “I couldn’t afford to pay him and I didn’t see why I should so I decided to stay with my car until he took it off so he couldn’t tow it away,” she said.

“If he did, the £250 to get it back is probably more than the car is worth.”

“I couldn’t get to work because of this and, as I’m a carer, it affects other people if I’m not there.”

Miss Davey sat in her car all day on Monday and, being unable to contact Mr Brindley on Tuesday morning, took the clamp off herself on Tuesday lunchtime – 30 hours after she first discovered her car was immobilised.

She said: “I can’t wait to get back to work. I was getting a bit fed up of sitting in my car, it was getting cold.”

Mr Brindley said he clamped Miss Davey’s car because the permit wasn’t stuck to her windscreen.

“The parking permit was not displayed on the window.

“It is the same size as a tax disc so it can easily be displayed in the windscreen,” he said.

“We deal with so many car parks around Salisbury it is impossible to remember which cars are supposed to be parked there.

“It’s our job to immobilise vehicles which are not displaying a valid parking permit and the release fee is set as such because of our expenses.”

Comments(21)

Ned Kelly says...
2:35pm Thu 24 Feb 11

£110 for 10 minutes work !!!! Car clampers must get paid per car !! Surely he could see the parking permit on the dashboard or then maybe a trip to Specsavers might help this numpty. Well what do you expect of the Police with a young girl in trouble !!

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IanMcL says...
3:40pm Thu 24 Feb 11

Car Clamping should be outlawed. Whereas, a parking ticket can be handled though the courts, clampers seem to have the right to interfere with your car and demand money with what can only be described as 'menaces'.

Whether they mean to menace or not, it is automatically a confrontation event and that should not be permitted - especially when a lone member of the public is able to be intimidated by the process.


Well done to the young lady in this instance.

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groale says...
3:49pm Fri 25 Feb 11

Let's bring some Common Sense to this discussion.
The lady bought a parking permit, the parking inspector saw the permit.
A service was bought and paid for, the receipt (in the form of a valid permit) was evident.
Here in Australia, if a service has been bought, and paid for, and the payment is acknowledged. The buyer has certain rights to a free and unfettered access to the services paid for.
To my way of thinking, the lady in question has done nothing wrong, the parking authority has erred in instructing its parking inspectors.
Can anyone give me a sane, logical and legal reason why this lady has been penalised inappropriately for buying a valid parking permit.
Let's face it people - this lady bought a parking permit, and then then council clamped her vehicle.
Where is the justice?
Does the parking authority have the right to deprive a citizen of their property, even thought the correct fee has been tendered for the service?
Whether or not the permit has been displayed as requested is immaterial - the permit & associated service have been paid for - the lady was entitled to park her vehicle where she did !

The parking inspector should have shown more Common Sense, the parking authority more humanity.

In short, why are honest citizens being penalized for attempting to do the right thing ??

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Ricky_Nixon says...
3:59pm Fri 25 Feb 11

The Poms have always had a fantastic sense of humour and this proves it. Congratulations to Jessica.

Wheel clamping cowboys have been rampant in the UK for two decades now and it looks like it is not abating. A simple legislative change would fix that.

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AuraTodd says...
5:23pm Fri 25 Feb 11

They even clamped a hurst once on the way to a funeral, demanding £270 from the guy. He couldn't pay it as he was dead, and wouldn't be in no hurry to pay it where he is; unless the daft clampers hold a seance!

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Reecey says...
9:24pm Fri 25 Feb 11

Good on Miss Davey and as said in other posts it's about time these Clampers were outlawed they have been in Scotland. Mr Brindley all that comes to my mind is Jobsworth. Also thought it was against the law to demand money with menaces. Also who is it that employs this person/company is it our great council.

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Jonny A says...
1:20am Sat 26 Feb 11

Ofd course this ticket writing "parking meter" failure will be exported to Australia. His kind with English accents and all are all the rage in Melbourne. Tough, menacing little old ladies and small girls. This excuse fo a job, along with speed camera operators isnt wanted by locals so we have to import them. Nazism from Old England? Say it isnt so... We have ethics here.

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Jonny A says...
1:56am Sat 26 Feb 11

groale wrote:
Let's bring some Common Sense to this discussion.
The lady bought a parking permit, the parking inspector saw the permit.
A service was bought and paid for, the receipt (in the form of a valid permit) was evident.
Here in Australia, if a service has been bought, and paid for, and the payment is acknowledged. The buyer has certain rights to a free and unfettered access to the services paid for.
To my way of thinking, the lady in question has done nothing wrong, the parking authority has erred in instructing its parking inspectors.
Can anyone give me a sane, logical and legal reason why this lady has been penalised inappropriately for buying a valid parking permit.
Let's face it people - this lady bought a parking permit, and then then council clamped her vehicle.
Where is the justice?
Does the parking authority have the right to deprive a citizen of their property, even thought the correct fee has been tendered for the service?
Whether or not the permit has been displayed as requested is immaterial - the permit & associated service have been paid for - the lady was entitled to park her vehicle where she did !

The parking inspector should have shown more Common Sense, the parking authority more humanity.

In short, why are honest citizens being penalized for attempting to do the right thing ??
Does the parking authority have the right to deprive a citizen of their property. It is simply an illegal act, made worse by the fact that they are allowed to tow a vehicle away due to bombastic council laws.... The "administrators" have simply lost the plot. Colonel Gaddafi needs them!

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Neffie says...
3:50am Sat 26 Feb 11

A similar thing happened to me in Lands End when I was visiting from Australia. But in my case, while I was putting my ticket on the dash the Inspector was standing next to me telling me off for originally parking in the "wrong" place. I had immediately moved when ordered to. He watched me put the ticket on the dash then clamped my wheels after I left. He was a criminal in my eyes.
I will never, never visit Cornwall again & advise everybody I meet not to also.

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chris from noosa says...
4:25am Sat 26 Feb 11

I wonder if the law states that the disk " must be displayed in the vehicle " does it say " it must be displayed on the wind screen" If is says simply displayed then the clamper is guilty bof tampering with some ones car
If it was me I would be sueing the pants of the clamper and his company for" illegal tampering with a motor vehicle not under his care or control "
The fee had been paid which was eveident by the permit dates only the position of disk is in question . Says a lot for common sense which seemingly is very rare with council traffic and parking officers world wide

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Grampie says...
2:52pm Sat 26 Feb 11

Why are all these Aussies on here?

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usmc1 says...
6:23pm Sat 26 Feb 11

I think the problem is she did not attach it to the wind screen , so other people could use it with out paying. Not that she was doing that.

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Timothy Norling says...
9:39pm Sat 26 Feb 11

I assume clamps are the same as the U.S. "Denver Boots."

I removed one, and then negotiated my parking tickets at City Hall with the Treasurer.

He wanted to know if I knew where the boot was (I gave it away to a passing stranger). Apparently they cost (in the 80's) $750.00.

Sad to hear U.K. is allowing these devices for generating revenue and pounds to unethical tow companies.

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mykky says...
1:19am Sun 27 Feb 11

Good on the young lady for standing up to this pin-pricking prat!!!
There must be a special school where officials learn to be obnoxious, with a compulsory class in denying common sense.
Poor wally couldn't think maybe the disk fell off the windscreen, oh but of course, the school has classes for blunting thought processes!!

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mykky says...
1:46am Sun 27 Feb 11

Grampie wrote:
Why are all these Aussies on here?
Hi Grampie--this story is now global!!! And these pillocks (usually in a uniform) with a bit of authority are everywhere dispensing their version of local by-laws.

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tuckeg says...
3:11am Sun 27 Feb 11

Small world! In 2003 I stopped in Salisbury en route to Heathrow from a sightseeing trip to Stonehenge. Was only spending 40 hours in England to break up trip to Africa. The B&B I stayed in had a brochure saying Salisbury was a great tourist destination so I thought I'd stop. There were no signs for parking so I asked a cop about parking and he gave me directions to a lot. I pulled in and parked in a spot and looked around but saw nothing about paying. The place was a big disappointment with the touted outdoor town market selling mostly junk like socks from China. Had a quick lunch and went back to my rental car. Had a ticket for $50 on the window. I walked around the lot and 100 ft from my car was a booth with a small sign indicating this was where you were supposed to buy a sticker for $2 for parking (I had lots of spare coins in my pocket that I later gave to a charity at the airport so I would have gladly paid). I walked to the municipal building to explain what had happened and met with an incredibly insulting woman who said the lot was clearly marked and I was lying.

At that point I thought I must have missed the sign and paid the fine. When I went back to the lot to get my car, sure enough there was a big sign saying to pay for a sticker. I figured I must be really jet-lagged and began driving away. As I left the lot I looked back and the other side of the sign was blank. That was the direction I had arrived from. Anyone coming from that direction would not be aware it was a paid parking lot.

I was running late so I did not return to her office, but did take photos of the sign. I sent mail that included the photos to the parking authority and the town council and never received a reply. Seems like things haven't changed much there.

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minorproblem says...
9:49am Sun 27 Feb 11

What a joke! So typical of the poms to come up with these ridiculous schemes. Most of these blokes are just sociopaths who are on a bit of a power trip. Sounds like he had no common sense or decency.

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Grampie says...
12:34pm Sun 27 Feb 11

mykky wrote:
Grampie wrote:
Why are all these Aussies on here?
Hi Grampie--this story is now global!!! And these pillocks (usually in a uniform) with a bit of authority are everywhere dispensing their version of local by-laws.
Strange that as there is not too much interest over here. Anyway, our luvverly government is making clamping (Denver Boot) illegal and about time too. I was always worried that my disability scooter was going to get clamped and I would have to walk home.

A big sorry to the person who got a parking ticket, but these fines help to keep our council tax low, but the woman in the office should have at least given a smile.

I still don't understand why there are so many Aussies on here and why, when I visited Perth four years ago (I know it was 5-nil in the cricket at that time) all the eating places closed at 9 in the evening when the town was full of hungry brits.

Incidentally I would recommend the Little Creatures pub in Freemantle. Without a doubt the best pub in Australia

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cjwinternet says...
8:51am Thu 17 Mar 11

Who cares what happens in Australia, USA or Africa? It's not relevant at all, to the point of being boring and dull.
--------------------
-
Well done Jessica, I'm glad you stood up to these goons.

Anthony Brindley, I think people should know about you...

Spire Security, Church View, Tytherley Road, West Dean, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP5 1JQ. 01794 342 030.

It's also a disgrace that MY council tax goes to pay the police that stood by while a car was virtually stolen from the owner, yet the boyfriend was arrested for trying to recover it. What the hell is going on?

there's no need to remind everyone that whatever the outcome, nothing will change, because the police and the council don't really care about us, the normal people.

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cjwinternet says...
9:07am Thu 17 Mar 11

This makes interesting reading as well. A first class cowboy operator...

http://www.salisbury
journal.co.uk/news/5
012058.Confusion_ove
r_clamping_contract/

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cjwinternet says...
9:23am Thu 17 Mar 11

Spire Security is dissolved now. If somebody could tell me the name of the clamping firm we can name and shame them.

If he hasn't moved, here's another address for scumbag Brindley...

Spire Security Ltd. 94, Greenwood Avenue; Postcode: SP1 1PE

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