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Family's car clamped and torched Family's car clamped and torched
(10 minutes later)
A family car was clamped - wrongly it is claimed - then torched by arsonists after it was left stranded overnight. Arsonists destroyed a family car when it was left near a park overnight after being clamped by the DVLA, who thought it was untaxed.
Martin and Caroline George, from Lawrence Weston, Bristol, parked their £6,000 Vauxhall Zafira near Durdham Downs in the city on Wednesday. Its owners claimed the £6,000 Vauxhall Zafira should not have been clamped, because it did have a tax disc.
The couple said they had to leave it in the same spot overnight after failing to convince officials the vehicle was taxed. It was later set on fire. Martin and Caroline George, from Bristol, parked their car near Durdham Downs in the city on Wednesday.
The DVLA said the case was being investigated. They said they had to leave it there overnight when DVLA officials refused to accept it was taxed and unclamp it.
It was set on fire during the night and when Mr and Mrs George, from the Lawrence Weston area of Bristol, arrived the next morning they found only a charred outline of where their car had been.
Receipt proofReceipt proof
The DVLA said the case was being investigated.
Mr George, 24, said: "It's a real nightmare. The car was taxed until the end of October, but they clamped it anyway.Mr George, 24, said: "It's a real nightmare. The car was taxed until the end of October, but they clamped it anyway.
"We rang up the DVLA but they refused to release it and it was left overnight near the park."We rang up the DVLA but they refused to release it and it was left overnight near the park.
"We paid for the tax disc in May and have a receipt to prove it. There's no question it could have fallen down from the windscreen, it was securely in place. We even took a photo on our mobile phone of the disc after it was clamped."We paid for the tax disc in May and have a receipt to prove it. There's no question it could have fallen down from the windscreen, it was securely in place. We even took a photo on our mobile phone of the disc after it was clamped.
DVLA is sorry to hear of the vehicle keeper's distress. DVLA spokesman DVLA is sorry to hear of the vehicle keeper's distress DVLA spokesman
"We're gutted. We've got no car and we don't know if the insurance will pay out on it.""We're gutted. We've got no car and we don't know if the insurance will pay out on it."
The couple had returned the next morning to find a charred outline of where their car had been. The couple found just the charred outline of where the car had been because the burnt-out shell of the Vauxhall had been removed by the city council after firefighters were called out to tackle the blaze at 0100 BST on Thursday morning.
The burnt-out shell of the Vauxhall had been removed by the city council after firefighters had been called out to tackle the blaze at 0100 BST on Thursday morning.
A DVLA spokesman said: "DVLA is sorry to hear of the vehicle keeper's distress.A DVLA spokesman said: "DVLA is sorry to hear of the vehicle keeper's distress.
"The Agency cannot comment on a specific case with a third party. However, I can confirm that the case is being investigated and DVLA will be contacting the keeper direct on this matter.""The Agency cannot comment on a specific case with a third party. However, I can confirm that the case is being investigated and DVLA will be contacting the keeper direct on this matter."