Been clamped? Unlock it yourself

• New wheel clamp can be unlocked by driver
• Waiting time to be released slashed
• Drivers phone up for release code

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Being clamped is frustrating enough, but waiting hours for the clamping crew to turn up and release you pushes many drivers over the edge.

That could be a thing of the past, because a new clamp has been developed which has a combination lock. The idea is that clamped car owners can ring up the parking firm, pay the fine and a deposit for the clamp, and then they can free the clamp themselves using the code given to them over the phone by the parking firm.

Chris Nicklin, managing director of the firm that designed the new clamp, Traffic Management Products, told The Times that, once you've paid the fine and deposit, 'You put the clamp in the boot and have the option of returning it or keeping it to use on your caravan.'

Many local authorities are interested in the new clamp, because they believe it lowers the risk of confrontation between drivers and the parking firm employees when they come to release the clamp. One London clamping firm says it gets five broken windscreens a month because of angry motorists.

However, there are worries that the new clamp will lead to an increase in car clamping, because the firms who fit the clamps will no longer have to return to a vehicle to free it.

Paul Watters, the AA's head of roads policy, said 'It is better to be able to release yourself immediately after you have paid, but if it leads to a lot more clamping, it would be bad news for drivers.'