Under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (PFA 2012), it is a criminal offence to clamp, tow, block-in or immobilise a vehicle without lawful authority on privately owned land.
You may be asking what has this to do with Hemsworth Town Council?
So did Ferret, until the following photograph and information was sent to them:
This sign and a number of others have been placed on the fence adjacent to the road into the Waterpark off Hoyle Mill road.
The road is a private road and actually owned by Wakefield Council and not the Eccles’, although it looks like their ambitions of owning the Waterpark have now been extended to the main access road, which is still controlled by their gate.
You may be thinking, well it could be Wakefield Council’s doing but no hang on a bit, although it does not bear the name of any local authority, neither Hemsworth or Wakefield, and if it was legitimate you would expect it to, that contact title and number looks very familiar.
The Head of security at Hemsworth Town Council is none other than Samantha Knowles and her telephone number is 07423 434684
Private wheel-clamping became a criminal offence with effect from 1st October 2012 when sections 54 and 55 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 came into force. Section 54 of the Act makes it a criminal offence to immobilise, move or restrict the movement of a vehicle on private land without “lawful authority”.
Perhaps someone at Hemsworth Town Council can enlighten us as to which Town Council meeting authorised this breech of the law?
If they didn’t, what action does Hemsworth Town Council intend to take against all the individuals involved in this blatant disregard for the rule of law.
Ferret wonders what is this really about? Is it yet another money making scam? Is it yet an attempt to stop people parking on “the Eccles access driveway to their Waterpark”.
Or is it possibly both?