A MIDWIFE had her car clamped as she rushed to give pain relief to a woman who had gone into labour at home.

Clare Evans was clamped within seven minutes of leaving her car on a private road as she dashed to the patient's home in Platform Road, near Southamp-ton docks.

She was then forced to pay £95 and wait for nearly half an hour for the car to be released - while her patient was rushed to hospital in a taxi to give birth.

Furious Clare, who works for Southampton NHS Community Trust, said: "I had to stand there and wait for the car to be unclamped. I was supposed to be escorting my lady to hospital.

"I do appreciate it's a permit holder area but the nearby car park was full and what else was I supposed to do when there was a woman in labour who was quite far gone and needing pain relief, fast?"

The 24-year-old, from Mitchell Close, Southampton, added: "I put up a huge A4 sign in my windscreen, which said where I worked, that I was a midwife on call and it had a phone number for my work.

"I left the car at 10.15am and it was clamped at 10.22am.

"When the man came to release the car he was proudly telling me how he clamps anyone - even doctors on call - with no regard to the circumstances. I would have thought they would be a little more understanding."

But Clive Deacon, managing director of Security International Group, who authorised the clamping of the car, denied the claims.

He told the Daily Echo: "The area has plenty of warning signs up.

"There is a car park for the property and I would be most amazed if it was full.

"Had she had the courtesy to call us and tell us the circumstances when she first parked the car we wouldn't have clamped her."

Asked why Clare was made to pay the charge when the full circumstances were revealed to a patrol officer at the scene, Mr Deacon said: "It was after the event. It was too late."

He refused to answer what would have happened if a doctor or nurse had parked in the same spot, after saying:

"We work in a very black and white situation but it is not company policy to clamp people in this situation. We do not clamp doctors or nurses on call."

Mr Deacon said he would be happy to consider any letter received from Clare asking to be reimbursed.