He had parked on a privately-owned site in Yeovil next to the property he was investigating.

The officer was involved in a stand-off with the clamper for nearly an hour - the wheel-lock was eventually removed without the �60 fee being paid.

But police said it was "irresponsible" to immobilise the car, which might have been needed to respond to an emergency.

Inspector Mike Edwards said: "I think it is fully justified to park there, the officer was engaged in his legitimate duties for an hour."

But Dean Porter, managing director of Yeovil Vehicle Containment, said: "He was on private property. If he had been on an emergency, it would have been different. Our operative acted correctly."