MOTORISTS in Newton Abbot were once accused of being among the worst in the country for flouting parking regulations.
The comment came after it was revealed in 2003 that hundreds had been clamped in the private Market Walk and had to pay £50 to be released.
More than 50 a week were falling foul of the dreaded Denver boot, and Andrew Jackson the boss of National Clamps declared: ‘They are not learning. Surely nearly everybody in the town must know by now that you park there at your peril.
‘Some are very stubborn and would risk it even if there were armed guards. They seem to be oblivious of what is going on around them.
‘We have similar contracts all over the country, but Newton Abbot is one of our worst hot spots. I would love to pull our clamping teams out of there tomorrow, but the situation is still pretty bad.
‘We were called in by the owners of the shopping centre because of parking chaos. There were health and safety issues with large articulated delivery lorries having to reverse and negotiate past parked cars.
‘People with a legitimate right to be there, including taxi drivers were finding their spaces blocked, and they fully support our actions.
‘There are over a dozen signs in the two parking bays warning motorists they will be clamped if they park. Yet people continue to park right opposite them. We will continue to clamp until matters improve.
‘Clamping fees are not our main source of income. Most of our turnover comes from the renting of signs and the clampers are on a fixed wage however many they clamp.
Mr Jackson also denied claims they were a ‘cowboy outfit’.
He pointed out that National Clamps was the largest privately owned firm of its kind in the country and had been going for 14 years. The company based in Preston, Lancashire, was also a government advisor on security.
‘Wheel clamping is not an easy job to do, and our staff receive a lot of nasty abuse.
‘But motorists only have themselves to blame in they park there,’ he warned.