Christmas is a time to be charitable, and it seems a little churlish to deny Ted Evans his moment.

The notorious car clamper, dubbed “Dick Turpin”, has taken the opportunity to laugh at himself by producing T-shirts poking fun at his own reputation.

Mr Evans is infamous for his activities at the Changegate car park in Haworth, and many visitors to the picturesque village feel they have been unfairly targeted.

Mr Evans is selling the T-shirts to raise money for a local charity, the Bradford Day Shelter.

Such an act must be taken on face value and the fact that Mr Evans is willing to acknowledge his reputation and put a bit back into the community has to be recognised.

But perhaps, in this season of goodwill, Mr Evans should go one step further.

Wouldn’t it be a fantastic boost for the Bradford Day Shelter, which does sterling work and will be glad of any donations, if Mr Evans donated, say the whole proceeds of a month’s worth of clamping at the Changegate car park to the charity?

That would truly be a grand gesture, and Mr Evans might find his journey from Dick Turpin to Robin Hood would propel him one step further – to that of a latter-day Father Christmas.