This is the shocking moment two cowboy clampers illegally targeted – a charity minibus for DISABLED people.
The men clamped the bus moments after the driver dropped off 12 elderly war veterans for an afternoon at an ex-serviceman’s club.
Astonishingly, the men ignored the blue disabled badge displayed in the cab and the name and telephone number of the charity emblazoned on the side of the vehicle.
And they forced manager Mike Barnes, who runs the Ring and Ride bus service charity in Coventry, to fork out £140 to get the minibus back.
Signs by the entrance of the car park clearly state disabled badge holders are exempt from charges.
Today he vowed to appeal the fine, saying: ”As a registered charity that for the last 26 years has been dedicated to providing accessible door-to-door transport for people with mobility difficulties, and with all our minibuses displaying disabled passenger badges along with conspicuous sign writing, I should have thought it was obvious that clamping the minibus was inappropriate.
”The inconvenience caused to 12 disabled passengers who were late being collected whilst our driver obtained the money does nothing to enhance the reputation of the wheel clamping industry.”
The clampers struck in the private car park of Stoke Ex-Servicemen’s Club in Coventry, on Tuesday afternoon.
A disgusted taxi driver snapped the moment the men clamped the minibus.
He said: ”I was absolutely appalled. These two blokes watched as the disabled men struggled off and just sprinted to the minibus.
”They were like dogs out of a trap and swarming all over it, there is no way they didn’t know it wasn’t a disabled vehicle. I was horrified.”
Clampers demanded a £140 release fee but because the driver had no money he had to wait for a colleague to come out and take him to the bank.
Signs at the entrance to the car park clearly state disabled badge holders are exempt from charges.
It is patrolled by Coventry-based clamping firm Clearway Parking Solutions.
No one from the company was available for comment today.
Last month the Government announced plans to ban cowboy clampers charging drivers exorbitant fees to get their cars back.
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im so angry right now