SOUTH West Trains is to change rules on clamping within station car-parks following customer feedback showing dissatisfaction at instant parking fines.

A new company, CP Plus, has been appointed to create a more user-friendly car parking scheme, in which wayward drivers will receive a preliminary warning before any fines are issued.

It will affect stations in Haslmere, Farnham, Petersfield and Alton, where offenders will be fined £50, or their vehicles will be wheel clamped, with a £50 release fee.

Whether it is a fine or clamping will be left to the discretion of the car park operatives.

According to South West Trains, CP Plus has a proven track record in its field, having previously worked with Safeway, and the National Health Service, and replaces the outgoing company Security International, which held the contract for the last five years.

The Herald has previously reported on frustrated drivers who have been angered by the clamping system in operation at the station.

SWT press officer Jane Lee stressed that the new "second chance" system was not a soft option, but was designed to be more responsive to customer needs - and that "nobody enjoys being clamped, and nor do we enjoy clamping people".

She confirmed that the new operators would receive a management fee, but would not receive any money gained from clamping, which was the set-up with the last company.

James Burt, retail director of South West Trains, commented: "This new company has been brought in to try to make parking a more user-friendly experience. While people will be given a second chance when parking incorrectly, we trust our passengers will help us to make this system work."

It was his opinion that it was "unfortunate" that not everyone using station parks was doing so legitimately, which necessitated regulation of these facilities.

He appealed to car park users not to park in yellow hatched areas which would block entrances and exits, or to obstruct areas needed for emergency vehicles

Mr Burt concluded that specific investments at car parks across the network had been made in conjunction with the new clamping systems, including CCTV, lighting and parking expansions in some areas.