Ref. 31041-39A £30 parking fine has turned into a £650 nightmare after Nicola Taylor parked on double yellow lines when there was nowhere to park in her street.

Now Nicola is demanding to know why a bailiff charged her more than £400 to release a wheel clamp.

Bailiff Terry Dickinson charged the pharmacy technician £417 for removing the clamp, fitted after she failed to pay a parking fine.

But even he had to park on double yellows when he turned up to collect the fee because he couldn't find anywhere to park either.

Nicola admits she was wrong not to cough up on time, but is furious at the size of her eventual bill a whopping £650.

"It's absolutely disgusting, and what is so frustrating is that the bailiff will not explain the fee," she said. "I hold my hand up and say I should have paid earlier, but I object to paying when the cost is so unfair."

Nicola's problems started in March.

She received a £30 penalty ticket from Swindon Council for parking on double yellow lines outside her home in Florence Street, Gorse Hill.

Her ticket was issued during a football match at the County Ground, when the parking situation is worse because of fans leaving cars there.

Nicola did not pay the £30 but contacted bailiff company Swift Credit Services Limited, when that company sent a bill for £108 on June 7.

"I called them and said I wouldn't be able to pay until June 24, when I would get paid," said Nicola, who works at Swindon Health Centre in Carfax Street. "They said that was okay, and I left it at that."

So Nicola got the shock of her life when she found her car had been clamped in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

A notice said the vehicle would be towed away and sold unless she paid £650 which included additional costs and the release fee the same day.

The couple pleaded for extra time, and eventually paid on Wednesday.

The Evening Advertiser was on hand when Mr Dickinson called to release the car from its clamp.

He refused to explain the fee, or discuss why the car had been clamped when Nicola says Swift had delayed payment.

Tony Foss, Swindon Council's head of parking, said the episode was a stark warning to motorists to pay fines early.

"It is foolish not to pay straight away," he said.

"If we have to call in the bailiffs, then the costs do go up considerably."

Tamash Lal