Clampers working for the DVLA swooped on an untaxed car parked on the road outside his garage – despite it not having an engine!

Peter Lawless, who runs Walton Summit MOT Centre in Ranglet Road, could not believe his eyes when he saw the Vauxhall Vectra with a clamp and a fine on it just three and a half hours after he parked it.

He had shifted the car – which has no engine or front bumper – onto the road to make room in his garage for other cars he was working on, something he does frequently and previously without any problems.

But clamping officials have insisted the fine will stand because the vehicle was not taxed or registered off road.

Mr Lawless said: "There is just no common sense. I think someone has come along, down on the number of cars he needs to clamp and seen it as an easy £200.

"The other month we had a VW camper van parked on the road for the best part of a week while we waited for someone to come and scrap it. It happens all the time and there is never a problem.

"I am insured for all the vehicles which are in my care, but it is not my responsibility to tax a vehicle so I will certainly not be paying for it, and neither will the lad who owns the car."

He said the car was moved onto the road shortly after 8am on Wednesday and the clamp was slapped on it by midday without a word to anyone in the garage.

Peter says his staff have since removed the clamp and pushed the car back into the garage to carry on rebuilding the engine.

A DVLA spokesman said the exception to the fine would be to allow motorists to drive an untaxed vehicle to and from a testing station for an MOT test, as long as the vehicle is insured.

She said that if the vehicle is being used or kept on a public road it must display a valid tax disc at all times.

The spokesman said: "The law is very tightly drawn and DVLA does not have the discretion to decide which cases were accidental and which were deliberate.

"The rules have to be applied in a consistent and even-handed manner."

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