This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/7395452.stm
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Man cuts up car in clamp protest | Man cuts up car in clamp protest |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A Gloucester man has sawn his car in half with an angle-grinder in protest at it being clamped. | A Gloucester man has sawn his car in half with an angle-grinder in protest at it being clamped. |
| Ian Taylor, from Tredworth, claims the untaxed Ford Fiesta was parked on his drive with only part of a rear wheel poking out onto the pavement. | Ian Taylor, from Tredworth, claims the untaxed Ford Fiesta was parked on his drive with only part of a rear wheel poking out onto the pavement. |
| The 40-year-old builder said the vehicle was going to be scrapped anyway, but he wanted to make a point. | The 40-year-old builder said the vehicle was going to be scrapped anyway, but he wanted to make a point. |
| A spokesman for NCP Services said half of the car was parked on the road and should therefore have been taxed. | A spokesman for NCP Services said half of the car was parked on the road and should therefore have been taxed. |
| 'Jobsworths' | |
| Mr Taylor bought the Fiesta for his stepson with the intention of restoring it, but it was beyond economical repair. | Mr Taylor bought the Fiesta for his stepson with the intention of restoring it, but it was beyond economical repair. |
| "I told [my stepson] not to bother, so we parked it up, we were going to get rid of it. I came home from work the other day and it'd been clamped," he said. | "I told [my stepson] not to bother, so we parked it up, we were going to get rid of it. I came home from work the other day and it'd been clamped," he said. |
| Mr Taylor said he made several efforts to explain that the car had a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) certificate verifying it had not been driven on the road and that it had been parked on his drive. | Mr Taylor said he made several efforts to explain that the car had a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) certificate verifying it had not been driven on the road and that it had been parked on his drive. |
| The car was beyond repair and due to be scrapped anyway | |
| "We tried to talk to [NCP]. I said, 'you're not taking it'. I got my cutter and cut it in half," he said. | "We tried to talk to [NCP]. I said, 'you're not taking it'. I got my cutter and cut it in half," he said. |
| "[I'm] happy I got one over on them. They're jobsworths, for the sake of an inch and a half on the path." | "[I'm] happy I got one over on them. They're jobsworths, for the sake of an inch and a half on the path." |
| James Pritchard, communications manager for NCP Services, said clamping staff had photographs to prove that half the car was on the public pavement. | James Pritchard, communications manager for NCP Services, said clamping staff had photographs to prove that half the car was on the public pavement. |
| "We were astonished at the reaction this gentleman had to the fact we put a clamp on his car. | "We were astonished at the reaction this gentleman had to the fact we put a clamp on his car. |
| Fortunately, the only damage was done to his car and as far as our people are concerned we stand by what they did James Pritchard, NCP Services | |
| "It was a remarkable incident which highlighted some of the problems my colleagues face while they're doing what is a very important job in ensuring that motorists tax their vehicle," he said. | |
| "And in cutting his car in two, he managed to put both himself at risk and also a number of bystanders - along with ourselves, the police had to be called and the fire brigade, as he set fire to the car while cutting it in two. | "And in cutting his car in two, he managed to put both himself at risk and also a number of bystanders - along with ourselves, the police had to be called and the fire brigade, as he set fire to the car while cutting it in two. |
| "Fortunately, the only damage was done to his car and as far as our people are concerned we stand by what they did." | "Fortunately, the only damage was done to his car and as far as our people are concerned we stand by what they did." |