Clamped: Gospel youth church leader on hunger strike after car targeted in Chiswick (From Your Local Guardian)

Clamped: Gospel youth church leader on hunger strike after car targeted in Chiswick

5:31pm Friday 5th February 2010

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A youth church leader today launched a hunger strike in protest at clampers who targeted his car.

A tense stand-off has unfolded since 4.30pm in Power Road, Chiswick, after Paul Bethanni refused to budge - while workers from Bay Parking have insisted he hands over £300.

Mr Bethanni, leader of the Gospel youth church, in Wembley, was visiting shop Prokit to buy a microphone for a special event on Sunday.

He said he was in the store for just 30 seconds to get a parking permit before he came out to find the clampers had struck.

Mr Bethanni, who was with two friends, said he will stay in his car all night if he needs to.

He said: “I’m in an industrial estate, there’s no cash machine anywhere near and if I leave the car they will take it away.

“We went into collect a permit, because we saw the signs on the shop saying you need a permit, and in under 30 seconds we were clamped, which means they must have been waiting somewhere to pounce on us.

“The money they are asking for, I don’t have that money. I came with a budget for an event we are going to hold, we are a non-profit organisation.”

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