Family 'were chased by clampers'

A man whose family was chased for four miles by clampers is celebrating after he was cleared by a court of dangerous driving and having an offensive weapon.

Tim Brooks, of Redditch, Worcs, was holidaying with his young family in St Ives, Cornwall, when he was clamped, despite having time left on the ticket.

He refused to pay and drove off but was followed to another car park by the clampers last August.

A jury at Truro Crown Court took 40 minutes to clear him on Thursday.

The agency nurse, who was holidaying with his wife Lindsay and their three young children, said: "We had parked up in St Ives to have a bit of a play on the beach and eat fish and chips and my wife purchased a three-hour ticket.

"Then we came back to the car and as we were walking up to it we noticed we'd been clamped.

"The charge was £70 plus VAT and if we refused to pay it was £150 on top to be towed away."

'Blocked in'

He said the clampers had claimed the ticket was incorrectly displayed.

He added: "In the end we agreed to drive over the clamp, slide it down the roll bar, tie it up as if it was a spare wheel and then drive to the nearest police station."

He said they were followed to another car park where the clampers blocked him in.

He told the court one of the clampers picked up a hammer, which he considered to be threatening behaviour.

Both parties called the police but only Mr Brook was charged.

No-one was available for comment at the clamping company concerned, MBC Solutions, which is based in Helston, Cornwall.