The Cost You Can Pay If You Remove A Clamp From Your Car

If your car is clamped by the Authorities, the message is simple – don’t remove the clamp off the vehicle as it is a criminal offence and you will be prosecuted. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This latest advice from the City Council is in light of a recent incident, when the Council had to take a resident to court for non-payment of parking fines and removing a clamp from her vehicle. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

On October 6, Claire Smith from Lansdowne Road, Canton, was prosecuted in her absence and found guilty at Cardiff Magistrates Court for removing a clamp from her Citroen ZSara. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Enforcement officers attended Ms Smith’s property on February 27 to execute a parking warrant. As Ms Smith wasn’t present but the vehicle was, an immobilisation devise was fitted to the front of the vehicle, with the relevant paperwork to explain that the car had been clamped for non-payment of parking fines. When the enforcement officers returned to the property on February 29, to pursue the matter further, they were shocked to see that the vehicle was no longer there. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Enforcement Officers continued to try to contact Ms Smith by phone, leaving a number of messages. Ms Smith continued to ignore the messages so when the vehicle was spotted again on Lansdowne Road on May 9 – Enforcement Officers attended and seized the vehicle. The vehicle was later sold at auction but due the age and condition of the car, the money raised was insufficient to cover the debts incurred. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Ramesh Patel, Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Sustainability, said: “This is a case when the City Council went out of their way to try to contact the offender to resolve the issue but we had to take the action that we did, as she refused to work with us. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We even had to call the police when we seized the vehicle, as she wouldn’t acknowledge her wrong doing to our officers and her subsequent behaviour towards them wasn’t acceptable. I am pleased that the court did see the error of her ways and issued a fine of £217. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We do take these matters seriously and we ask everyone to park correctly and legally for the safety of all those that use the road network. If a clamp is fitted to your vehicle, don’t take the law into your own hands and remove it or you will find yourself in court facing criminal proceedings.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​