Clampers pounced on a mum-of-two’s courtesy car three minutes after it was dropped off at her workplace.

The Bay Park Management workers put a lock on 56-year-old Linda Baker’s Ford Fiesta while she went to pick up a parking permit from inside her office in Grove Road, Sutton, to show she could leave it in the company car park.

Mrs Baker was given the courtesy car by her insurers after being involved in an accident on Friday.

She received the vehicle, in RI Property Letting Service’s car park, at 12.43pm and was clamped at 12.46pm.

The estate agent said: "I couldn’t believe it. I rushed outside, explained the situation, and showed them my parking permit, but they told me the clamp was already on so they couldn’t remove it unless I paid them £300 in cash."

She said even the building’s landlord, who employs Bay Park Management to police the car park, asked the clampers to be reasonable but they said there was nothing they could do.

She had to have a whip-round from colleagues to pay the fee.

Mrs Baker, from Fetcham, said: “You would just expect them in this situation to be reasonable. I don’t have hundreds of pounds to spare at this time of year.”

Now she is demanding her appeal be granted and she is paid back the full fine immediately.

Emma Simpson, manager at Bay Park Management, said there was no record on the log of the incident to show that a valid permit had been shown.

She said if this had been the case, and was presented within a reasonable period of time, the clampers would have removed the wheel lock without charge.

She said Mrs Baker would now have to go through the normal appeals process, which should be decided within 28 days.