Wheel clampers have been banned from operating on private land after a long-running campaign by the AA to tackle rogue operators who exploit drivers by charging excessive fines.
From 1 October it is a criminal offence to clamp on private land. Private parking operators who want to penalise motorists for breaking a rule of their car parks will have to hand over a ticket or send an invoice through the post, with charges only enforceable in court.
The move is seen as long overdue by the AA, which has been monitoring problems caused by wheel clamping on private land since the late 1980s.
Following the news, it listed some of the worst cases, which include a hearse being clamped on the way to a funeral, clampers demanding sexual favours in lieu of cash, and a teenage girl left stranded overnight in a car park after clampers demanded £300 for overstaying a ticket by 10 minutes.
AA president Edmund King said: “The outright ban on wheel-clamping on private land is a victory for justice and common sense.
“We have been campaigning for a ban against this legalised mugging for many years.
“Too many clampers have been acting like modern-day highwaymen for too long. Many elderly and vulnerable people have been ripped off by these callous cowboys.”
Follow BusinessCar on TWITTER.
