A mum-of-two who left her children in the car while she picked up a prescription at her doctor's surgery returned to find the vehicle had been clamped – with the kids still inside.
Victoria Whitmore found seven-year-old daughter Zoe in tears and a £150 fine stuck to the windscreen.
The 40-year-old community carer had been parked up for 'just two minutes' when the clampers moved in.
Mrs Whitmore had left the car outside a pub in Headley Road, Woodley, Berkshire.
She said: 'I was so upset and the kids were crying while it was being put on. They didn't know who he was and it scared the life out of them.
Mrs Whitmore, whose 12-year-old son Joseph was also in the red Vauxhall Astra estate, said she did not realise she was not allowed to use the pub car park.
'It's £150 and I have just got paid so I will have no money left for the rest of the month,' she added.
'The clamper refused to take it off and he said he can clamp with the kids on the car.
'When you have two young kids you cannot stay out here and stop them from taking the car away. I have no choice but to pay.
'I left them for just a couple of minutes. If I was there for half an hour I could understand it but two minutes is just pathetic.
'My husband was away working so I had no help at all. I'm a woman on my own with two kids and when I called the police they just said it was a civil matter.
'There should be a line to say where you can and cannot park because I didn't think it was part of the pub.'
Martin Sullivan, managing director of Frontline Parking Services, said the vehicle was illegally parked.
'We are within our rights to clamp in that particular area as it is part of the pub,' he said.
'The woman in question has parked here before and been clamped but we took it off for her then.
'She was probably about 10 minutes this time and she left her kids in there. Unless there's someone in control of the vehicle we are allowed to clamp it.
'The onus comes down to the mother leaving her children in the car.'
Fair enough or foul play? Have you been had by car clampers?
'We are acting within our rights and we are fully licenced through the Security Industry Authority.'