Blackmail clamping charge denied

A grandmother left her car for 10 minutes then returned to find it being clamped with her grandson inside, a court heard.

And a doctor's car was clamped while he was delivering blood to the hospital in Cannock, the jury at Stafford Crown Court was told yesterday.

Rebecca Faye Freer Meakin, aged 27, of Millers Vale, Heath Hayes, denies a charge of conspiracy to blackmail. It is alleged that her wheel clamping firm Rowencroft Immobilisers was a "sham operation".

Prosecuting, Anthony Potter said the two incidents happened at Midland Tattoo Centre car park, Beecroft Road.

He said they were two of many incidents of intimidation to get money involving a team of clampers between January and May 2006 at LA Rock car park, Stafford Road, in Cannock, Midland Tattoo Centre car park, Beecroft Road, in Cannock, the Red Lion car park in Rugeley and the former Courts car park in Worcester.

Mr Potter said: "There is little doubt that Miss Meakin was in charge of that operation. The question is whether that operation and whether Miss Meakin's involvement in it went well beyond the bounds of lawful enterprise."

He said the clampers were often intimidating, threatening to tow the cars away immediately if not paid in cash.

Pauline Woodcock, licensee at the Red Lion at the time, hired the company for two weeks in February 2006 to solve the problem of those using her car park to nip into Rugeley. But she said that because of the barrage of complaints she ended the contract.

The hearing continues.