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Motoring news

Council 'to hit clampers with ASBOs'

23/09/2009

Councillors at the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead have made clear their intentions to clip the wings of over-zealous clampers by issuing Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs).

Members voted unanimously yesterday to hand out the orders to unsympathetic clampers, who they believe are putting off visitors. The area features traditionally popular tourist draws such as Windsor Castle.

According to the Telegraph newspaper, the council intends to start issuing ASBOs - which cannot be given to a firm, but must be attached to an individual member of staff - before Christmas.

The move follows high levels of complaints to the authority from tourists who have fallen foul of eager clampers.

Phil Bicknell, the Conservative councillor who proposed the motion, said that radical action was needed to prevent the reputation of the town as a tourist destination being ruined by visitors being "victimised for turning up a few minutes late for their cars".

"These firms are making a fortune by clamping tourists with little or no real justification," he added.

Licences for clampers to operate on private land are granted by the Security Industry Authority (SIA).

A spokesperson for the body told the BBC that while the law dictates that clampers must have a licence, there are no guidelines to suggest how they should operate.

"The fines and release fees are set by the individual and these are operated perfectly legally," they added.

However, speaking to Admiral News, the SIA highlighted the licence conditions, and pointed out that it is a criminal offence to break these rules.

The council announced last week that it would be advertising short-term contract parking spaces on eBay, becoming the first authority in the country to offer places using the online auction site.