Mike Cox has hailed the announcement that clamping and towing away cars on private land is to be banned.

"There can't be a politician in the country who hasn't been told of a case of cowboy clamping and extortionate "fines" being charged. We've seen some horrendous cases in Ruislip Manor and indeed across the borough - including nurses and care service vehicles being clamped.

Yes there needs to be a way for private landowners to protect their land. No we don't want private armies of vigilantes inflicting their own form of off-highway robbery on motorists."

The ban was announced by Liberal Democrat Minister Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green in North London.

"Once again I am proud to be a Liberal Democrat. We can't have everything we wanted but here's another example of a Lib Dem policy being put into action. Lynne has done brilliantly to bring this forward, as Scotland did long ago. I'm looking forward to toasting the end of the clampers and their extortionate demands."