A car park owner has apologised after a car was clamped as a tourist slept inside.

The elderly, partially-sighted Australian tourist awoke to find the clampers securing the wheels of the Subaru in Changegate car park, Haworth.

And despite pointing out the valid ticket, the clampers said it was invalid because it was upside down and on the dashboard instead of the windscreen.

Ted Evans, who sub-contracts the operation of the car park to Car Stoppers, said he too was "unhappy" with the actions of the attendants

"I was annoyed when I heard about this, quite frankly, and I have given instructions that it should be refunded," he said.

His comments come after Car Stoppers were branded a disgrace for accepting Marks & Spencer vouchers as part payment for releasing a car belonging to 81-year-old Winifred O'Hara, of Shipley.

In the latest incident, the pensioner, on holiday from Victoria, Australia, was with a group of tourists visiting the Bronte Parsonage museum.

But because of his heart complaint, he was unable to walk to the museum and remained in the car where he dozed off.

His wife, Marie Methven, who has written demanding a refund of the £35 release fee, said the Subaru car was clamped at 2.29pm on June 19, this year, minutes after they arrived and 47 minutes before it was due to expire. In her letter to Car Stoppers she brands the attitude of the attendant as deplorable.

The attendent had seen them buy the ticket and knew that somebody had stayed behind in the car, claimed Mrs Methven

She said: "I have had no response whatsoever. This behaviour surely can't be sanctioned by the local authority.

"We must say that it is extremely hard to believe that "our England" can tolerate this kind of behaviour."

Mr Evans added that he believed the attendants had been unfair and that he anticipated the refund would arrive in Australia very shortly.