Wheel clamping on private land will be banned in England and Wales from October 1. Then it will be illegal to clamp, tow away or immobilise a vehicle without lawful authority to do so. Anyone who breaks the law will face criminal charges and a fine if convicted.
In effect, this will ban most clamping and towing by anyone other than the police, local authorities, government agencies such as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) – plus other bodies acting in accordance with statutory or other powers, such as railway stations and airports. Bodies with lawful authority to clamp and tow may continue to contract out this work to private companies.
DVLA and VOSA will continue to clamp or tow vehicles which are un-roadworthy or have not had their vehicle tax paid.However the Birmingham Sunday Mercury reported one car clamp firm welcoming the change, expecting that it will bring his company more profit. Instead of hiring private clamping firms, car park owners will now be able to install ticket machines and set their own parking ticket fines, without the clamping company having to pay for a car pound or towing vehicles.
