A BUSINESSMAN has slammed vehicle licensing chiefs after his van was clamped while it was parked on his private driveway.

John Houlihan said he was incensed when he returned home to Bentham Road, Mill Hill, Blackburn, on Wednesday evening to discover his Peugeot Partner van fitted with a DVLA wheel clamp.

Mr Houlihan, who owns a property rental company, said the DVLA had “no right” to go onto his property, even though the van’s tax had recently expired.

The DVLA declined to comment on individual cases but said it had procedures in place to deal with such mistakes.

Mr Houlihan said: “It’s absolutely unbelievable what happened.

“It said there was a release fee of £100 which can go up to £200 and there is no chance I am paying that. I don’t have to pay anything.

“They should not have come on to my property and clamped my vehicle.

"It’s completely out of order.”

Mr Houlihan said the van’s tax had expired last month and that he was intending to sell the vehicle as soon as he could.

He said it was clear that the van was parked on his land and said he would seek answers from the DVLA as to why the clamping had taken place.

A DVLA worker removed the clamp at 10am yesterday and Mr Houlihan said he was not charged for it being taken off.

And he said he would be demanding an apology from the DVLA.

He added: “I own a private road and they have obviously come on to that and clamped the vehicle. It’s not on at all.

“I want a written apology for what has happened.”

A DVLA spokesman said: "We are sorry to hear that your reader has experienced problems in his dealings with DVLA.

"Direct enforcement action can only be taken against an unlicensed vehicle used or kept on a public road.

"DVLA's contractor liases with local authorities and the Land Registry to determine the status of the land prior to enforcement action being taken.

"If DVLA becomes aware of vehicles being clamped in error the Agency will arrange for the vehicle to be released immediately."