The boss of a car-park company has been accused of shamefully exploiting honest, decent citizens by a cancer charity.

The claim was made by professional fundraiser Sally Owthwaite after three people had their cars clamped when they attended the Manorlands Hospice annual meeting at the nearby White Lion Hotel, Haworth.

In a protest letter to Ted Evans, of Car Stoppers, which owns the Changegate car park, in Haworth, Mrs Owthwaite says: "I think it is fair to say that your employees were lying in wait for people that evening.

"Rather than advising people they still needed a ticket, despite it being so late in the evening and the car parks being deserted, they were cynically waiting for people to leave the car park to clamp their vehicles.

"Most of the people attending our meeting were elderly or retired, and were extremely distressed to find their cars clamped."

But yesterday Mr Evans hit back at the claims saying: "I am really upset about this matter, especially with some of the things the writer has said.

"All they had to do was contact us before the meeting and we would have waived any charges. We have helped a number of charities in the past, including Manorlands.

"The car park has even been used for car-boot sales to help Manorlands.

"We do not lay in wait for people. The parking times are quite clear. The attendant lives locally and patrols the car park every half hour."

He adds: "What really gets me is that they went over the road to a pub where no doubt they bought a drink -- but were not prepared to pay 60p to park.

"You get used to complaints in this job but the comments in the letter have seriously caused us distress in view of help we have previously given."

The letter concludes by asking Mr Evans to consider a donation to Manorlands "in recognition of the excellent work undertaken by the victims of your clamping company who are now out of pocket at a time in their lives when they need money." The clamping charges ranged between £25 and £40.

Adds Mr Evans: "According to my staff those who were clamped were not elderly or retired. In fact, some were quite aggressive when they came out."

Later Mrs Owthwaite, who works for the Sue Ryder care home at Manorlands said: "One of the ladies clamped was in her 70s and was crying.

"She was so upset when someone told her that her car was being clamped she left the meeting and went home. She rang to apologise the next day.

"They believed that as it was so late they did not need a ticket.

"I very nearly did not get a ticket myself as my colleague believed the charges ended at 7pm -- but in small letters we eventually spotted the 8am-8pm notice, so I fully understand why the elderly people did not see this notice."

Added Mr Evans: "I have made the hospice aware of how I see the issue."