Redbridge cabinet member fuming after �500 clamping bill
A FUMING councillor clamped and asked to pay �500 to get it released is pledging to get a local bylaw in place to stop the “extortionate” charging.
Cllr Robin Turbefield, Redbridge Council’s cabinet member for housing, was forced to abandon a meeting in Redbridge Town Hall, High Road, Ilford, on Tuesday, to hand deliver some of the cash.
His van, which belongs to Lodge Carpets the Hainault firm he runs, was in a road behind High Street, Barkingside, delivering furniture to a flat.
It pulled over to let another van pass, only to find it was being driven by workers for clamping firm Securak.
Ninety minutes after being clamped, a call to the police and boss Cllr Turbefield coming to the scene, �500 was paid.
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Cllr Turbefield says he was originally asked to pay �1,000 because the van was a commercial vehicle.
He said: “I’m absolutely livid and I’m going to see if we can do something about this like a local bylaw.
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“There were seven men in total [from Securak] and they’re not small. It’s very intimidating.
“This has happened to us in Tower Hamlets but we’ve been released because we’re working there, but this was totally out of the blue.”
He added: “It seems to be Barkingside that they’re hitting while they’ve got easy pickings.”
Last year the Recorder launched a campaign called the Recorder Clamp-aign, aimed at tackling rogue clampers and getting legislation introduced to put a limit on the fines that could be charged.
In August, the government announced it would outlaw clamping firms operating on private land.
A spokesman for Securak said it has signs in the road, which runs between Virginia Gardens and Westminster Gardens, warning motorists of the charges for parking there.
