A CLAMPING firm has been accused of “appalling and devious behaviour” after charging two motorists nearly £800 to release their cars.

The company, Elite Parking Enforcement, towed away one woman’s car within 10 minutes of her parking and forced an 80-year-old man to go to a cashpoint to get the money to have his car released.

Both had parked behind the Carpetright store in Sidcup High Street, not realising some spaces in the car park belonged to another company.

Diana Lorkin, an office manager of Abbey Hill Road, Sidcup, claims Elite employees forced her to park in the wrong parking space deliberately and then towed her car away.

When she visited the store, she found the entrance to the car park blocked by what she thought was a breakdown truck.

Its driver was talking to several other men.

After waiting several minutes for it to get out of the way, she asked the driver to move so she could get in.

Mrs Lorkin claimed he moved only slightly, allowing her access to the nearest car parking space.

She went into the store, but when she came out 10 minutes later, her car was gone.

What she had assumed was a breakdown truck, was a tow truck for Elite Parking Enforcement.

A woman who had been trying to warn Mrs Lorkin after witnessing several other incidents, told her the parking enforcers moved in as soon as she had turned the corner.

Mrs Lorkin said: “She told me they ticketed my car, clamped it and took it away.

“I was flabbergasted how this could all happen in such a short time.”

With the weekend looming she rang the company several times before getting through and being told it was closed for the weekend and she would have to wait until Monday to get her car back.

Mrs Lorkin said: “They were abusive and unhelpful, but eventually agreed to allow me to pick it up on Saturday morning.”

She had to travel to Walthamstow to get it, and it cost her £545 - £100 penalty ticket, £125 clamp, £280 towing charge and £40 storage.

When she saw her parking ticket, it read 3.32pm to 3.35pm.

The car was then immediately clamped and towed away.

She said: “I feel I have been completely done over.”

Mrs Lorkin has appealed against the company’s action and says, if necessary, she will take Elite to court to get her money back.

Reginald Merrifield’s trip to Carpetright cost him £225.

Mr Merrifield, 80, of Eynswood Drive, Sidcup, also thought he was parking in the store’s car park.

When he returned 10 minutes later, he found his car had been clamped by Elite.

Luckily for him, the company tow truck was not there, but the clampers still were.

They told him if he wanted the clamp removed, he would have to go and get £225 from his building society, which he did.

The new coalition government has announced plans to ban clampers from private land in a Bill set to be introduced in November.