"Mum^s message for car clampers after son is caught out" (Portsmouth News 11/11)

[whole diary]

[Brucey]

ANGRY mum Julia Hazel got her own back on car clampers ^ with a bucket of sludge and a video camera.

The 43-year-old saw red after her son^s car was clamped in Cosham, Portsmouth, and she had to stump up the ^205 release fee.

She filled a bucket up with porridge, frozen vegetables and food colouring to turn the mixture bright yellow.

Then she went down to the car park, behind the Iceland store in Old Market Road, and lay in wait.

When a clamper from controversial firm City Watch turned up, Julia chased him round the car park with the bucket before emptying the contents over the seats of his van.

Her friend Vicki Hamlyn, 48, filmed the episode on a video camera.

Vicki posted it on YouTube under the username MsWheelclamper ^ and it has clocked up more than 3,000 hits.

Julia, of Wells Close, Milton, said she felt she had to act after her son was clamped on September 15.

She said: ^I got a call from my son to say he had been clamped, even though he had left his car for literally two minutes so he could get change for the meter.

^The situation was disgusting enough but what infuriated me was overhearing the clamper in the background saying ^are you going to get mummy then are you?^.

^At that point I saw red. My son didn^t have the money to pay so I had to go down and hand over the money or else they were going to tow his car away. Afterwards I realised something needed to be done.

^I don^t regret it and I believe I was sticking up for everyone who has been affected by the clampers.

^Someone was being clamped at the time so it spurred me on.

^Everyone has thought about doing the same. People in the car park were cheering and clapping.^

Police ordered Julia to pay ^60 in compensation to City Watch Enforcement for cleaning of uniforms and its van.

She sent a cheque to the firm last week.

Portsmouth City Council is to take over parking enforcement in the new year after a string of complaints about City Watch, which has taken more than ^40,000 from motorists this year.

The clamping firm refused to comment when it was contacted by The News.

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/transport/mum_s_message_for_car_clampers_after_son_is_caught_out_1_3241905

Well, apart from opening yourself up to a possible charge of assault, I would not recommend taking the stance of this lady if you are misfortunate enough to be clamped.

[JayMac]

I echo that advice brucey, but it is kinda funny though!

One thing though I don't quite believe is the Police ordering her to pay ^60 in compensation to the clampers. Police can't do that can they? They can issue a fixed penalty, perhaps for a Section 5 Public Order Offence in this case, but that money wouldn't go to the victim. Any order of compensation would have to be made by a court, surely?

Still, private clampers should soon be a thing of the past. I understand the Protection of Freedoms Bill is currently on its second reading with the House of Lords. A few more steps (committee, report, third reading) and it should receive Royal Assent in the Spring.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

i hate clampers.... however... this whole two mins thing doesnt sit rite with me ! ...... how many of us when we were younger and did something silly and then amended the story so that it was more likly to get help from our parents..........

as for the 'revenge' ... one word... moron

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm ...

Julia, of Wells Close, Milton, said she felt she had to act after her son was clamped on September 15.

I suspect that quite a lot has happened between that date and certain aspects of the story appearing now in the press.