Home Office announce crackdown on cowboy clampers

Rogue wheel clamping firms could soon find themselves subject to tough new regulations, the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced today.The Home Office will look at proposals for introducing compulsory licensing to tackle the limited number of wheel clamping companies whose dodgy practices include; excessive penalties for releasing clamped cars, towing cars unreasonably quickly after being clamped, hidden, missing or confusing signs warning drivers that clamping takes place and a lack of any appeals process for drivers.Currently, any individual undertaking wheel clamping must hold a frontline licence from the Security Industry Authority (SIA), with supervisors or directors holding a non-frontline licence. The new proposals would make it mandatory for the company itself to be licensed to help ensure it upholds standards of conduct, which will be enforced if they are not met.The Home Office will launch a formal consultation at the end of April considering how best to regulate the industry.The Home Secretary, said; "The licensing of individual wheel clampers has gone a long way to reducing criminality and improving standards in the industry, but it has become clear that the existing licensing scheme does not address all the concerns the public have."There are clearly a minority of clamping companies indulging in unacceptable behaviour including unclear signage and excessive fees."That is why we intend to look carefully at how we can introduce a scheme for compulsory licensing of clamping companies and will publish proposals shortly."The SIA was asked to undertake a feasibility study of the various options for the regulation of wheel clamping companies in the private sector, including a company registration scheme.SIA Chief Executive Bernard Herdan, said; "Vehicle immobilisation is a sector that faces criticism due to the nature of the work it does and the behaviour of some operatives in the industry. In response to concerns over practices in the sector we have set out how wheel clampers could be more tightly regulated through a new company licensing scheme."Industry and stakeholder participation in the forthcoming formal consultation will be essential. We expect all legitimate firms will welcome this new approach and will be ready to work with us to make this a success."Commenting on the move, AA President Edmund King said: “We have reached the end of the road on reining in the antics of unscrupulous wheel clampers whose immoral excesses are reported to us almost daily. Licensing has not worked as, in many cases, it has simply legalised the cowboys for example; charging pensioners £370 to recover their car after a minor parking error or leaving an 18 year old female alone overnight in a city because her car was taken and not given back until the next day.“86 per cent of MPs think that wheel clamping on private land in England and Wales should either be outlawed or more tightly regulated, according to a Populus poll of 100 MPs for the AA. We welcome today’s announcement but it must result in new powers with teeth to stop the daily excesses that clampers get rich on at the expense of vulnerable people who are in effect held hostage and are too scared to challenge. We cannot allow clampers to be judge, jury and executioner – an appeal system is therefore crucial to gaining any public trust.“The AA looks forward to working with the Home Office on the development of these new measures. If the new regulations fail the outlawing of wheel clamping as extortion and theft as in Scotland is the only remaining option”.

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