THEY have made life a misery for many motorists, ruthlessly demanding hundreds of pounds from even their most vulnerable and elderly of victims.

There was the heavily pregnant mum, Michaela Haghir, from Eastleigh who broke down in tears as a clamper threatened to impound her car.

Then there was the on-call firefighter, Adam Clemeston, who had to find £400 for his vehicle to be released after leaving it in the wrong place – for 20 minutes.

And who can forget 89-year-old Second World War D-Day hero Dennis Wilson, charged nearly £700 after failing to see a no-parking sign in Shirley, Southampton.

The Daily Echo has spent six months campaigning for a ban on clamping on private land as a stream of angry motorists called in to recount their own distressing experiences.

The fight went right to the top, and even Prime Minister David Cameron backed our calls.

And last night, in a victory for our bid to Give Clamping the Boot, Government legislation outlawing the controversial practice was finally rubber- stamped.

It means that rogue clampers have until October to wind up their businesses before they become illegal.

The Protection of Freedoms Act, which has been given Royal Assent, outlaws wheel clamping on private land in a move that the Home Office said would save the public £55m in fines.

Officials said 500,000 drivers fell victim to clampers on private land every year.

The ban will come into force in October, following a “commencement order” by ministers.

The Daily Echo’s campaign was backed by local MPs including Eastleigh’s Chris Huhne and Alan Whitehead, who represents Southampton Test.

Mr Huhne welcomed the law change, saying the activities of the rogue clampers were “completely unacceptable”.

He said: “I have a lot of constituents who were very badly affected. I have been affected on two occasions. Once, parking next to the Isle of Wight ferry, another time just round the back of Market Street in Eastleigh.

“It was extortion by menaces in my view. I can look after myself but for a lot of my constituents, including elderly ladies, it’s such an incredible shock.”

Today the victory was being celebrated by clamp victims too, including IT consultant Paul Cartlidge.

Earlier this year, we reported how he had to pay £360 after his brother-in-law’s van was left with a permit in a visitor bay at Alcantara Crescent in Southampton. He had not seen the signs that warned vans were not to be parked in the area.

Mr Cartlidge told the Daily Echo: “This is fantastic news – it is just a shame that it is not coming in to full effect until October.

“I don’t understand why it hasn’t been done sooner. I’m just glad that in the future people won’t have to experience what my wife and I went through.

“The whole practice is just wrong.”

The Daily Echo has also carried numerous reports on the practices of White’s Car Park Solutions, exclusively revealing how the company plunged into administration with estimated debts of £111,172.

Managing director Jason White, pictured below, who always maintained that the firm provided a good service for his customers, has told the Daily Echo that he has given up car clamping for good.

Representatives from St Mary’s Church in Southampton also admitted using the company to prevent people illegally blocking up their car park. No one at the church was available for comment last night.

Ultimate CPS was set up in November last year and took over some of the clamping areas once marshalled by White’s.

But nobody was available for comment from the firm last night either.

Hampshire-based motoring group, the AA, said drivers should still be on their guard with the ban not coming into force for another six months.

Spokesman Andrew Howard said he would be “happy to see the back” of clamping on private land but warned that motorists may still find themselves being clamped right up until October.