Hull MP protests about convicted criminal now running parking enforcement fir

Diana Johnson MP has raised the case of a Hull wheel-clamper convicted of 'racially aggravated harassment' now being allowed to practice parking enforcement under Government reforms.

The Coalition banned wheel-clamping on private land in the Protection of Freedom Act, but took no further action to regulate parking enforcement practices more generally despite warnings from the Hull North MP, in her role as a Shadow Home Office Minister, during the passage of the Bill that rogue wheel-clampers would simply become rogue parking ticket enforcers.

The news on Mr Del Grosso appeared in the Hull Daily Mail today (7 February) see http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Convicted-clamper-Del-Grosso-access-DVLA-database/story-18076684-detail/story.html#axzz2K8dJMpgx.

Diana Johnson MP told the House of Commons: "Today's Hull Daily Mail reports that Peter Del Grosso, a former rogue wheel-clamper with a recent criminal conviction for 'racially aggravated harassment', is now a legally registered parking ticketer.

"Given Labour's warnings in the passage of the Protection of Freedoms Act that this would happen, can we have a debate on the floor of the House on the effectiveness of the Coalition's legislation on this issue?"

Speaking after Commons Business Questions, Diana Johnson MP said: "Many people in Hull would be shocked to see Mr Del Grosso still operating after the Government's ban on wheel-clamping on private land was meant to have seen off rogue operators such as him.

"As I've warned before, by just having the headline- grabbing ban on wheel-clamping on private land, without curbing the wider dodgy practices in parking management, rogue clampers will just become rogue ticketers.

"The Government have also left us with a glaring legal loophole that the worst operators, including those with criminal records, can set up in the parking enforcement industry under a different company name almost overnight. They can then gain access to motorists' private information at the DVLA. I will keep raising this serious issue in Parliament."