Kent police vs parking control services

[letsmakeamark]

Video here : LiveLeak.com - Uniformed police officer filmed using bolt cutters in bid to remove parking clamp

Story here :

Uniformed police officer filmed using bolt cutters in bid to remove parking clamp | Mail Online

 

Uniformed police officer filmed using bolt cutters in bid to remove parking clamp

 

 

A uniformed police officer has been caught on film using a pair of bolt cutters to try to remove a wheel clamp from an unmarked patrol car.

The male officer sprung into action after clampers immobilised the vehicle - being used by a plainclothes female officer - and refused to remove the clamp.

The WPC parked her car illegally near he Pheasant pub in Ashford, Kent, after being called out to investigate a 'minor crime'.

But within minutes of parking her car, it was clamped by workers for Parking Control Services (PCS).

 

 

Caught on camera: A police officer tries to remove a wheel clamp from an unmarked patrol car

 

 

The officer tries to cut through the metal chain. A WPC had parked her car illegally in Ashford, Kent, after being called out to investigate a 'minor crime'

 

When she returned to find her silver Peugeot 206 out of action on July 15 she called for uniformed assistance.

Senior officers then called the head of PCS, Martin Harries, and ordered him to remove the clamp immediately.

Mr Harries, however, refused and told the police they would have to stump up £200 to get the clamp taken off.

It was at this point that a male uniformed officer, who had since arrived on the scene, pulled out a pair of bolt cutters and set about trying to remove the clamp.

A member of the public filmed the officer desperately trying to shear through the metal chain attached to the clamp before he gave up after realising the cutters couldn't shear through the metal.

Onlooker Graham Hardy, 24, said: 'It was quite an odd scene. This policeman just pulled out a pair of bolt cutters and started going at the clamp - something we've all wanted to do.

'But he couldn't get through the chain and they had to get the car towed. It must have been embarrassing for him.'

 

Defeated: The policeman realises he cannot cut the clamp off and that an audience of bemused onlookers has gathered

 

In the end police called a recovery truck and ordered the car to be driven to Ashford police station.

The next day workers from PCS arrived at the station to remove the clamp, but not before demanding that the police pay them £200, which was promptly handed over.

Mr Harries said: 'We cannot clamp marked police cars but this was an unmarked one. Why should the police be any different to anybody else?'

He added: 'The unmarked car was parked on a walkway and there was no sign it was a police car, so my workers were just doing their job - legally.

'After clamping it we got a call from a police inspector telling us we had to take the clamp off because it was a police car and he said that if we didn't take it off an officer would remove it with bolt cutters.

 

'They tried to take it off, but couldn't and the car had to be moved. They paid the £200 in the end.'

Chief Inspector John Frayne said: 'An unmarked police vehicle was parked in one of several bays which gave the appearance of being a parking bay.

'This is positioned between parking bays and it would appear that the only difference is a change of brick pattern around it.

'The unmarked police vehicle was clamped and owing to the fact that officers believed the clamping to be unlawful, a lengthy negotiation with the clamping company took place.

'The company refused to remove the clamp and subsequently the vehicle was recovered to Ashford police station. The clamping company have since removed the clamp.'

'The matter is subject to legal proceedings,' he added.

 

A police spokeswoman said: 'It was also a question of whether we were able to pay a clamping firm out of public money.'

__________________

[Al27]

Hold on - why have I, the taxpayer, just given £200 to these numpties?

 

PC Plod should have got the fire brigade down.

[crem]

Hold on - why have I, the taxpayer, just given £200 to these numpties?

 

PC Plod should have got the fire brigade down.

 

Iwas thinking that too Al.

Love to see how easy the fire brigade's kit cuts through a wheel clamp.

[nero12]

Iwas thinking that too Al.

Love to see how easy the fire brigade's kit cuts through a wheel clamp.

I wonder how many times it will take before the clamper brain cell kicks in.

 

I believe it is a shared item.

 

How many speeding tickets will they have to be issued to recover the release fee. LOL

 

Im sorry Mr clamper, you were doing 31 in a 30. Payup!

[gwc1000]

Hold on - why have I, the taxpayer, just given £200 to these numpties?

 

Perhaps you haven't. We only have the clamping firm's word that any money was actually paid, and we all know how trustworthy they are. Once recovered to the police station, it would be a simple matter for one of their mechanics to remove the clamp, they would not need the assistance of the clamper.

[letshelp]

Iwas thinking that too Al.

Love to see how easy the fire brigade's kit cuts through a wheel clamp.

Like a hot knife through butter.

regards

[electron99]

What interests me is that the bolt cutters did not work. I have been considering getting these type of cutters rather than an angle grinder since they don't need charging up; but it seems that bolt cutters are not as effective as we thought.

[RichardM]

Private firm of clampers manage a car park next to my work location, where the police often park vehicles.

 

They came back one day to find one of their vehicles clamped so they called up for a release. By the time the van the clampers drove had left the car park, having released the vehicle in question without charge, it had been booked for having three defective tyres and several other defects.

[crem]

Private firm of clampers manage a car park next to my work location, where the police often park vehicles.

 

They came back one day to find one of their vehicles clamped so they called up for a release. By the time the van the clampers drove had left the car park, having released the vehicle in question without charge, it had been booked for having three defective tyres and several other defects.

 

 

Although that's nice to hear about the clampers, it just shows though how the police run double standards. How often do we hear on here that someone reported an "illegal" clamping to the police and they don't want to know; it happens to them and they tear the clamper's van apart! (figuratively speaking)

[letsmakeamark]

Perhaps you haven't. We only have the clamping firm's word that any money was actually paid, and we all know how trustworthy they are. Once recovered to the police station, it would be a simple matter for one of their mechanics to remove the clamp, they would not need the assistance of the clamper.

 

The clampers humans rights kicked in.

[pin1onu]

The clampers humans rights kicked in.

Don't you mean that the clampers deserved to have their heads kicked in and the police should have obliged to fulfil their obligations under the human rights act.