Pub parking clampdown leaves bitter taste

Although there are signs warning patrons about the clamping policy Mr Kentish-Barnes was shocked to find himself a victim, and had to pay £212 to free his car.

He said: "I've been to the City Pride many times and never had a problem before. I'd parked in exactly the same spot just a month before and spent several hours in the pub without getting clamped.

"I know there are signs up but I hadn't really noticed it saying you have to give all your details, including your car registration number, to pub staff when you go in. It seems a bit odd to me. I don't know of any other pub in the country where you have to do that."

"I was with my wife, who is five months pregnant. It was a horrible situation to be put in, especially when the clampers had a problem with their credit card machine and wanted me to pay in cash.

"I don't know anyone who carries £200 around with them at 10.30 on a Friday night. In the end I had to use my credit card to get cash from the pub to get my car released."

The pub, owned by Glendola Leisure, brought in parking restrictions after its car park was clogged up with vehicles of workers on nearby building sites. Clamping company Knightwatch has been carrying out operations for the last few months, although their contract has been terminated with effect from September 11.

Pub manager Christine Bilde admitted clamping was not popular with customers.

She said: "We had no option because legitimate customers were finding it difficult to park here. Our policy is to register the car with bar staff and when the clampers come into the pub we double check with customers to make sure they are not going to be clamped.

"But we've had lots of problems with Knightwatch and are ending their contract next week."

Abdal Shah, managing director of Knightwatch, was unaware the City Pride contract was being terminated and blamed the pub for any problems.

He said: "We work on a commission-only basis and City Pride take the rest of the money. Our clampers check the pub register every hour or half an hour and I don't think anything was different that night. We have done lots of free declamping as a result.

"We only take payment in cash or with chip and pin, and sometimes our card machine doesn't work because the reception is poor. A lot of people don't want to wait around so they want to pay in cash."

There could be a happy ending for Mr Kentish-Barnes after Ms Bilde said the City Pride would offer him a refund if his appeal to Knightwatch is unsuccessful.