Staff at a car dealership thought it was a joke after a vehicle that was due to be sold was clamped by the DVLA.

A clamp was found on a Fiat 500 parked in front of Strood Motor Centre in Gravesend Road, Strood, last Thursday.

“Basically we came into work and found it clamped,” said Max Mannouch, head of social media and marketing.

“We all thought it was a joke at first. I actually believed it was a prank by one of my colleagues.

“I then noticed it was a clamp from the DVLA.

“We had a customer come to view the car that day and unfortunately we couldn’t sell it to them.”

The company has black metal fencing that surrounds the forecourt.

Five of its cars were parked outside the railings but only the Fiat 500 model was clamped.

“The land is privately owned,” the 21-year-old explained. “The fence used to be pushed up against the kerb but it had to be taken back due to the bus stop next to it.

“Just because the fence isn’t now right up against it doesn’t mean it is public owned.”

He added: “It’s frustrating. They have trespassed onto our land to clamp the car.

“We are well within rights to remove it ourselves but they will fine us £1,000 – that’s crazy.”

The team called the DVLA to complain but was told it would need to provide proof that the land belonged to the company.

Max said: “The deed lies with lawyers, so we are having to go through a process now to get this.

“It’s just a little bit ridiculous.”

Manager Russell Cox has been at the company for 11 years and says he has never seen anything like this.

His boss has owned the site since the 80s and claims they have always parked there.

“More than 15 years ago we put up fencing, but people complained that they couldn’t see pulling out of the junction next to us,” he said.

“So we had to move it back into our premises a little bit more. Then the council went and changed the junction layout anyway.”

Max added: “It’s thrown our business off course because this customer can’t pick up their car now.

“They were interested in buying it and now we can’t sell it to them.”

On Monday, KentOnline approached the DVLA for a comment.

KentOnline has since been told by the DVLA that the action was taken by its partner NSL Services Ltd, the national wheelclamping contractor.

A spokesman from NSL said: “Whilst we are unable to comment on individual cases, we understand that the vehicle in question has been declamped.”