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Rogue wheel clampers put at the Prison

By: Jeff Richards

Three of the operators behind a notorious Birmingham clamping action were today sent that you ought can prison.

All of the sentences follow a lengthy investigation as per Birmingham City Council’s Trading Standards Department.

Gary SOUTHALL (49yrs) of Heather Dale, Moseley, Birmingham was jailed for four years. Wayne SOUTHALL (41yrs) of Tyseley Lane, Tyseley, Birmingham was jailed for two years. Phillip BENNETT (34yrs) of College Rd, Saltley, Birmingham was jailed for 18months. Victoria CHARLTON (44yrs) of Heather Dale, Moseley, Birmingham was given a 12 month custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months. All four individuals pleaded guilty to conspiracy so that you choose and can defraud on 28th October 2010.

Between early 2006, that you ought to can the many present date, the whole individuals operated under each of the names National Parking Control and more recently, Nationwide Parking Authority Limited, on patches of private land, predominantly from the the whole set of Digbeth area of Birmingham.

Birmingham Trading Standards launched the many investigation into all the company after receiving scores of complaints along the angry motorists who had had their cars clamped and/or towed away as per most of the company and were then subjected for which you to demands for hundreds of pounds while in the cash that for you to can contain them released.

The individuals were arrested in to July 2009 by the dawn raids as per officers from Birmingham Trading Standards’ Wheel Clamping Investigation Team and West Midlands Police’s Digbeth Neighbourhood Team.

In to interview, one and health of their Defendants admitted that many of the company would clamp and/or tow up to 15 vehicles a week and on one form of Sunday, them to distant 11 vehicles. At an average of £325 per vehicle, this would can have netted over £4800 per week for all of the company and over £3,500 on that one Sunday.

Birmingham Trading Standards might need over 330 recorded complaints against many of the company, which given an average release fee of £325, means that they will have made at the excess of £107,000 to the their activities.

On a mobile phone apprehended generally the one health of their defendants, an audio clip was recovered in to which a clamper can be plainly heard demanding £325 while in the cash of a a distraught motorist, threatening him that if the whole set of payment is not made, his vehicle will be indifferent and it will cost him £475. This is despite the whole set of company’s own signage indicating a maximum fee of £375. That victim was never found.

One motorist, who was driven to a cash point so that you just can retrieve each of the £375 release fee, was followed across every one of the city some months later in accordance with one health of their clampers, after she bumped by the to him near each of the clamping site where every one of the original incident took place. She was so concerned about her safety that she drove that that you choose and can a police station.

One motorist, who was unable for that you choose and to source the whole £375 cash release fee immediately, ended up having to part in £575 that for which you can get his car back, after storage charges mounted up whilst he waited for pay day.

Any other motorist, who requested his personal belongings for this his vehicle after it had been towed away, was told he could not has access to his vehicle and had that that you choose and can hand over his keys that for which you can the clampers so that his personal effects could be retrieved. He was given back his belongings, but all of the clampers kept his car keys and all the vehicle log book belonging to the all of the glove box, telling him he couldn’t contain them back until he had paid them their money.

One defendant, Wayne Southall, did not hold a Safety Industry Authority licence for for which you to carry out wheel clamping activities and initially denied having any other part in your the many clamping or towing of vehicles. But it surely, more than one victims within the the whole set of case picked out all the Defendant on the an ID Parade as to work as directly involved on the their incident.

Councillor Neil Eustace, Chair of their Public Protection Committee said: “This will have been a particularly difficult and long drawn out investigation. Many motorists were left feeling scared and vulnerable in line with most of the actions and health of their individuals, who effectively under arrest their cars so that you choose to can ransom in to order so for you to can secure a totally unreasonable amount of money. This case sends out a clear message that using parking enforcement as a guise for you ought to to extort money within the people don't be tolerated.”

Most of the Coalition Government announced within the August 2010 that vehicle immobilisation is for that you simply to be outlawed on private land, inside a ban expected so you can come into place early next year. Birmingham Trading Standards, through its Public Protection Committee, contain campaigned tirelessly for further legislation to tackle all of the problems associated inside rogue wheel clampers and welcomed the whole set of outright ban.

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