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A CAR-clamped dad who camped in his motor for 30 hours until a four grand fine was axed beamed yesterday - and said: "It wastriumph for the common man."
'Triumph for the common man' ... Haroon observes clamper DARREN FLETCHER
Demands ... one clamper swaggers past Haroon's car DARREN FLETCHER
Nursery boss Haroon Zafaryab, 27 - who failed to spot a tiny "private property" notice - blasted "bullying clampers" who swooped on his Toyota Prius.
He emerged from prayers at his local mosque to find it clamped - and an enforcement firm official demanding £100 PLUS £265 for a tow truck that had been called to haul the car away.
Haroon refused to pay and got in the driver's seat, knowing the car couldn't be moved with him in it.
DARREN FLETCHER
That was at 1.18pm on Wednesday - and heralded a marathon sit-in which saw him hailed a local hero in Wembley, North London. Residents in local flats kept him supplied with refreshments as his protest dragged on all afternoon, into the night and continued next day. During the stand-off:
THREE MORE clamps were fixed so all his wheels were locked.
FORTY PARKING TICKETS were plastered over his windscreen and rear window.
FORTY PARKING TICKETS were plastered over his windscreen and rear window.
DARREN FLETCHER
TOTAL FINES mounted to £3,865 - with each penalty notice demanding £80 for 30 minutes of waiting.
Clamping firm Citywatch repeatedly sent tow trucks as cops kept an eye on the protest in Wembley's Plaza Parade. By 7.33pm on Thursday the firm's army of officials had finally had enough.
Their victim, whose wife proudly took his baby son to see his protest, offered to stump up the original £100 - and one of the enforcement team accepted.
Fuming colleague Ayon Malcolm, who originally clamped the £11,000 hybrid motor, slapped his head, wailing: "All that for £100."
Haroon, of Kingsbury, said: "A crowd of about 50 clapped and cheered as they took the clamps off."
Clamping firm Citywatch repeatedly sent tow trucks as cops kept an eye on the protest in Wembley's Plaza Parade. By 7.33pm on Thursday the firm's army of officials had finally had enough.
Their victim, whose wife proudly took his baby son to see his protest, offered to stump up the original £100 - and one of the enforcement team accepted.
Fuming colleague Ayon Malcolm, who originally clamped the £11,000 hybrid motor, slapped his head, wailing: "All that for £100."
Haroon, of Kingsbury, said: "A crowd of about 50 clapped and cheered as they took the clamps off."
As Home Office minister Lynne Featherstone prepared to unveil a blitz on cowboy clampers on private land today, he added: "Everyone was shaking my hand. The little man won against the big bad clampers.
"I knew I was within my rights."
His biggest scare came when he briefly sneaked out of his car for a break in the night - then found Mr Malcolm sitting in it. Cops ordered him out.
Haroon said of his sit-in: "I was prepared to stick it out for weeks. I knew they were trying to rip me off with the tow truck."
Citywatch, based in Enfield, North London, refused to comment. The AA has blasted the firm, expelled in February from the British Parking Association, as Britain's "greediest".
"I knew I was within my rights."
His biggest scare came when he briefly sneaked out of his car for a break in the night - then found Mr Malcolm sitting in it. Cops ordered him out.
Haroon said of his sit-in: "I was prepared to stick it out for weeks. I knew they were trying to rip me off with the tow truck."
Citywatch, based in Enfield, North London, refused to comment. The AA has blasted the firm, expelled in February from the British Parking Association, as Britain's "greediest".
A DISTRICT nurse's car was held for five hours by clampers who swooped as she parked for 15 minutes in a patient's allocated space. Hannah Bannock was in uniform and displaying an NHS permit when the team struck in Clacton, Essex.
She was finally freed when a management firm intervened, and did not have to pay a fee approaching £1,000.
Hannah said: "It was disgusting. They were a law unto themselves."
The firm, South East Clamping, would not comment.
She was finally freed when a management firm intervened, and did not have to pay a fee approaching £1,000.
Hannah said: "It was disgusting. They were a law unto themselves."
The firm, South East Clamping, would not comment.
Source: People's champ beats clamps | The Sun |News
