AN unemployed father who had to pay out more than £500 to police and clampers has had part of his fine repaid by a sympathetic Guardian reader.

Chris Schrader, 31, of Ninefields, Waltham Abbey, was fined £455 by Citywatch for dropping his pregnant wife off at the Keyhealth Medical Centre just before Christmas and was given an £80 fixed penalty notice for swearing at police officers while arguing over the original fine.

A pensioner from Buckhurst Hill, who only gave his name as Tom, passed £80 to the Guardian to repay Mr Schrader's fixed penalty notice.

“I won't waste my breath on clampers because they are the dregs of society,” he said. “What outrages me is the pathetic behaviour of the police who think that fining unemployed youngsters for swearing at clampers benefits society.

“Are the police trying to say that the public were offended by Mr Schrader swearing at wheel clampers?

“On the contrary, the majority of the public would probably agree with him.”

He said he wanted to let Mr Schrader know how outraged people were that he had been fined so heavily by the clampers and then the police.

Mr Schrader said: “It shows there are some decent people out there and I really do appreciate it. What a nice bloke.”

He plans to go to the Citizens Advice Bureau this week to find out if he can do anything to get his money back from Citywatch.

The Guardian has asked Essex Police to comment.