BUSINESS partners, who run a car clamping company at Essex University, claim they have been “through hell”, just for doing their jobs.

Gordon Lund and Lynda Wood took over as parking attendants at the Wivenhoe Park campus in September 2008.

Their company, Woodlund Services, was accused by students and staff of being heavy-handed.

But the pair say the criteria for clamping was set by the university, and claim they received no support from their employers and were excluded from meetings.

Their contract expires at the end of September, but they are no longer permitted to clamp vehicles.

Mr Lund and Mrs Wood said they were only enforcing the rules and regulations set out by the university, and had endured months of abuse from people unhappy with the system.

Mrs Wood said: “When we first started, we had a policy where, if a student didn’t have the money on the day, we would take their registration card and let them pay us at a later date and then return their card, which was held by the university security manager.

“But the Student Union said it didn’t want us to do that anymore, and, after discussing it with the university, it was decided there would be a strict policy of only unclamping cars when the £50 fee was paid.

“We had to call the police at one point after I was pushed against a car, and we had our car’s headlights smashed while it was parked on campus.”

Jenny Grinter, a spokeswoman for the university, said a new management system has been implemented following a recommendation from the university’s Car Parking Review Group.

She said: “Two transport attendants will be employed by the university and a civil penalty system will be introduced where students, staff and visitors will receive a warning notice for a first breach of the regulations.

“For a second offence, a civil penalty notice will be issued with a fine of £50, reduced to £25 for early payment, and subsequent off-ences will lead to clamping and a civil penalty notice.

“The university is in consultation with a number of possible providers.

“In line with the new first warning system, the university has instructed the current providers to operate a first warning system for the remainder of their contract.”