A NEW bill aimed at clamping down on rogue clampers could be introduced after a company was found to be operating without permission.

Motorists leaving their cars on a site near Blackburn town centre found they had been clamped and were issued with demands for money.

But Blackburn magistrates heard that the clampers had no authority from owners of the site, who claimed never to have heard of them.

David John Pickford, 29, of Dickson Road, Blackpool, who was convicted in his absence of two charges of obtaining money by deception, was fined £200 and ordered to pay £140 compensation and £65 costs.

Speaking after the case, a Home Office spokesman said that the Government was considering introducing a bill to clampdown on clampers.

The spokesman added that as part of the Private Security Industry Act 2001, the Government was hoping to bring in set guidelines and standards and insist all companies are licensed to local authorities.

The scheme will not come into effect for at least another year.

Clare Fanning, prosecuting, told Blackburn magistrates that two motorists, Andrew Berry and Lena Duffy, parked on a derelict site in Cicely Lane and returned to find their cars clamped.

They telephoned the mobile number and, shortly after, Pickford arrived and demanded money to remove the clamps.

Miss Fanning said the land was owned by a supermarket, which had not previously charged for parking.

Pickford had previously gone to the manager of offices adjacent to the site and given her 10 car park passes for staff saying his company, SMD Clampers, had been retained by the supermarket, the court was told.

"The estate manager of the supermarket has been contacted and he confirmed that nobody had any authority to clamp cars on their behalf," said Miss Fanning.

She said police had tracked Pickford through the mobile number.

Daniel King, defending, said Pickford accepted clamping the vehicles and taking the money but said he believed he had authority from the owner of the land.

He said that since the incident Pickford had been banned from driving and had been forced to close his clamping business and a skip hire business but was still running two bargain basement shops in the Blackpool area.

"He still maintains that he spoke to someone who gave him authority to clamp but the people who own the land say that is not the case and clearly your colleagues found that it was a scam," added Mr King.