WHEEL clampers will be driven out of Horsforth if councillors, residents and some business people have their way.

Traders say the knowledge that clamping is taking place in the village is affecting trade.

One Horsforth businessman described the clampers as 'ratbags' and two Horsforth councillors, Brian Cleasby and Chris Townsley (Lib-Dems), are urging motorists to write to their MP Paul Truswell asking him to look into the nationwide problem, with a view to having clamping banned.

The area of land in question is behind the Midland Bank in Town Street. Two small yellow notices have been put up by S J Parking Control, of Armley, warning people the area is a 24-hour clamping zone and that the fee is £75. The notice points out that if a car caused an obstruction then it would be moved to a compound and only released on payment of £190 plus additional charges incurred as a result of abuse.

Coun Cleasby said he had received a large number of complaints about clamping. "It is not necessary for wheel clamping to be carried out as the company who had requested clamping had left the area more than six months-ago.

"I intend to drive these clampers out of Horsforth," he said.

Coun Townsley said there was a lack of parking at Horsforth. "I feel motorists have a case for compensation if their vehiclea are even scratched let alone damaged by a clamp," he said.

Geoff Adams, who runs his own business Logical Computer Supplies from Kerry House, which backs onto the land where the cars are being clamped, said: "I am fed up with this clamping. People think it is me who is responsible but that is not so.

"The trouble is motorists do not see the tiny signs and I am always going outside and informing them they could be clamped.

These people are just sitting there waiting to clamp people. The company responsible for the clamping are not here anymore and there are no large vehicles visiting the area so why is there a need for clamping?" he said.

Molly Greenfield, of Horsforth Family Footwear, Town Street, said a footwear representative who visited her shop later found he had been clamped.

"The fee was £75 and he only had £60 so I had to loan him £15. This clamping is affecting trade in the village. It is beyond a joke," she said.

Rebecca McHugh, 26, a shop assistant at Ideas Unlimited, said many people had complained to her about parking problems in Horsforth.

And Anne Hodgkinson, owner of a ladieswear shop, said she had been clamped when she had left her car on the land. "My husband contacted the clampers and I got half my money back," she said.

Steve Hall, manager of the clamping firm, said: "If we are affecting trade then so is Leeds City Council who have put yellow lines down Town Street."

He said the warning signs are of reasonable size and 'are bold and bright.'

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.