A MAN earned hundreds of pounds by illegally clamping cars, a court heard.

Iain Watson, aged 30, of Greenway, Coppenhall, is charged with 20 counts of fraud by false representation between January 24 and September 3 in Crewe last year.

Yesterday at Chester Crown Court, the jury heard Watson had spent up to £4,000 on setting up his own business, Clamping Enforcement Agency.

This included spending about £2,500 on training courses, as well as buying his own business cards and signage for his van.

The court was told that Watson had applied for a clamping licence to the Security Industry Authority on June 27, 2006, under the 2001 Security Industry Bill.

But Watson received a letter backdated on November 14, 2006, telling him his application had been unsuccessful because he was not a person of previous good character.

The prosecution claims Watson was told he could not continue to clamp 21 days after receiving the letter, but despite this, continued to do so.

Prosecuting John Oates said: “The crown says Watson knew perfectly well what he was doing was wrong.

“The defendant knew he couldn't clamp but tried to deceive and mislead people by wearing a badge and an official-looking costume. He entered into a pretence to make people think he was authorised to get money off them.”

Mr Oates read out a series of statements to the jury from people who were fined and clamped by Watson over the eight month period.

In one statement the court heard how a woman had to give up her car which she had bought the previous day for £450 because she could not afford to pay the £95 fine.

The majority of fines were handed out to motorists parked on land behind Breeden House, in Edleston Road, Crewe, the court heard.

Michael Broady, managing director of Crewe-based construction company Maddocks Broady, was clamped by Watson on July 31 last year in Crewe town centre.

Mr Broady called police after becoming suspicious of Watson's legitimacy as a wheel clamper.

He said: “I went on the Security Industry Authority website and searched for him on the register of licence holders. I called Watson and asked for his licence number and his name didn't come up on the website so I rang the police station to make a complaint.”

Following an investigation, police arrested Watson on September 5 last year and charged him with fraud by false representation.

Watson, a former doorman at Steam nightclub in High Street, Crewe, denies the charges. The trial continues.