MOTOR mechanic Abdul Musa had his own way of dealing with a wheel clamp put on his car while he was at work -- he took an angle grinder and cut the clamp in two before driving off.

But Blackburn magistrates heard that his actions had stirred up a hornets' nest in the "nightmare world of private clamping."

Musa, 40, of Russell Court, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to damaging the clamp and possession of cannabis. He was fined £80 and ordered to pay £200 compensation and £64 costs and given a conditional discharge for 12 months for the drugs offence.

Eddie Harrison, prosecuting, said a Mr Houghton worked as a wheel clamper for Car Parking Services of Darwen and three months earlier he had been contacted by Motormania in King Street, Blackburn. They were concerned about people from a nearby business using their car park.

He said that after signs had been put up and a number of vehicles clamped the problem seemed to subside until Motormania called to say that a vehicle from Able Motors was again using the car park. That vehicle, belonging to Musa, was clamped. Roger Pickles, defending, said the parking enforcement had nothing to do with the police.

"It is all part of the nightmare world of private clamping and the disputes that arise as a result of people getting their vehicles clamped," said Mr Pickles. He said Motormania had been concerned about Able Motors customers using their parking and there had been a long-running agreement that staff vehicles were all right. Musa worked for Abel Motors and had left his car there on numerous occasions without problem.

"He went to his vehicle one day and found it had been clamped," said Mr Pickles. He was livid and immediately got an angle grinder and cut the clamp in two.

"The result of that was several young men of muscular build arriving in a van," said Mr Pickles.

"There is an element of intimidation in them arriving mob handed to sort the problem out and my client and his colleagues wanted to put their side of the dispute."