A CLAMPED motorist is launching a four-figure compensation battle against a firm after learning his work vehicle had been sold. Builder Jack Cardy, 52, of St Margaret s, Barking, is claiming up to �400 a week in lost earnings from South East Clamping, plu

A CLAMPED motorist is launching a four-figure compensation battle against a firm after learning his work vehicle had been sold.

Builder Jack Cardy, 52, of St Margaret's, Barking, is claiming up to �400 a week in lost earnings from South East Clamping, plus damages for the sale of his �8,000 Renault Scenic, which was towed away in Rainham on December 23.

The Essex firm was ordered to stop clamping cars on council land after Havering Council received 11 complaints from motorists last year. It was also featured on BBC Watchdog in November.

Mr Cardy, self-employed, says a court order should have been obtained before his Renault could be sold. He also says impounding the car was wrong as clamping signs were not visible.

He backed up his claim at Ilford County Court on Thursday - where he was seeking an injunction to stop the car being crushed - by producing photos of The Broadway, where he parked, without signs on Christmas Eve. But the clamping firm told Judge Howard Kemp the evidence could not be relied upon as drivers were known to have taken pictures after removing the signs.

South East Clamping told the court it had frozen Mr Cardy's daily storage fee, adding an intermediary finance company, not the clamping fim, had sold the car.

Ms Blundell, for the defence, said: "We did everything we could to help him."

Mr Cardy could be in line for thousands of pounds in lost earnings as the claim is not expected to be heard before March, plus at least �2,000 on the car he bought on credit.

A Havering Council spokesman said: "We established that an area of the Parkway is public highway and told the firm to stop clamping on this section. We asked them to remove their signs from the public highway as they do not have the council's permission to operate there.