TWO families have vowed never to use a popular fast food restaurant again after being clamped in a car park.

Both incidents happened in the Southall branch of McDonalds, in the Uxbridge Road, within a month of each other.

Kamran Victor, 33, of Nichols Avenue, Uxbridge, stopped in the car park with his wife, Inta, and their four-year-old son, Chris, just after 2pm on Saturday, May 31.

He said: "I gave my wife the keys as I was going to meet some friends in Southall, and she was getting Chris a burger and then going home by herself.

"As she was queueing one of the clampers came up behind her and told her to move the car, as the driver had left the premises. She called me to come straight back as she was very upset.

"When I came back I saw my wife in the car with the engine running, but as the clamper saw me approach he put the clamp on."

Mr Victor was forced to hand over £150 to the clamping firm, Parking Control Services, but the clampers refused to release the vehicle and increased the price by £50 after accusing him of wasting their time.

He said: "During the whole thing my son was crying in the car because he was scared and didn't understand what was happening.

"It has also really affected Inta. We had friends over that evening and she would not leave the bedroom as she was so depressed at the way she had been treated.

"I'm not as upset about the money as the fact these guys are getting away with it.

"I used to use the restaurant in Hayes a lot, but now I know it's run by the same person I will be avoiding it from now on."

Tony Martino, 38, who lives in Midhurst Road, West Ealing, was caught out by the clampers on Sunday, April 20.

He had gone to the Southall branch with his sister, and had left her sitting in the car while he went to get some cash to use in the drive-through.

However, when he came back he found his rear wheel had been clamped with no warning to his sister, who was sitting in the car with the keys.

He said: "These two big guys had sneaked around the back of the car, so as not to be seen by my sister, and clamped it - and I had only been away for three minutes.

"They said it would be £95 to release the car if I paid in cash, but I didn't want to give them money so I paid on my credit card which cost £100.

"They kept saying I was the driver and had left the premises so they were entitled to clamp me, but I was just getting money to get food, and if they had spoken to my sister she would have explained things.

"She was quite shaken by the whole experience, and now I'm absolutely furious because I feel like I have been treated really badly.

"I didn't see any signs until they pointed them out to me because they are hidden behind trees on the back wall of the car park.

"I shan't be using McDonalds in Southall or any in the local area again in the future."

Atul Pathak, the managing director of several branches of McDonalds in the area, including the Southall branch, said clamping was necessary because of the lack of car parking in the area.

He said: "Clamping is never a popular thing. I have 15 restaurants and this is the only one we clamp in, and I personally do not like to do this.

"But when I took over in Southall I realised there was a huge problem. Because there is so little car parking in the area, shoppers would park their cars and go into a shop and local shopkeepers would use it, and it's only a small car park.

"There are 15 signs warning people not to park there unless they are customers, but people always say they are surprised when they come back and find their car has been clamped."