POLICE have dropped an investigation into a notorious clamping firm which took a man’s £10,000 car and sold it.

After two months they have concluded “no crime was committed” and said the case is now a civil matter.

Car owner Scott Cunningham, 24, from Rayleigh, can’t believe it.

He complained to police after LBS Enforcement clamped, then towed away, his black Alfa Romeo 147 T-Spark.

Mr Cunningham insists he tried to get in touch with LBS to pay the £610 release fee, but they did not return his calls.

He was unable to get his car back, or any of the personal contents inside.

He claims these included £90 in his wallet, a £200 sat nav, his father’s laptop, his grandmother’s disabled parking badge and house keys.

Mr Cunningham then learned the car had been re-registered with the DVLA the same day it was towed away and later sold.

Now after a two-month investigation, police have announced they can no longer pursue LBS because no crime has taken place.

Scott’s dad Terry Cunning- ham, 49, said: “I can’t see how there hasn’t been a breach of the law.

“I work with solicitors and I’ve been told there’s no mileage whatsoever in pursuing it through the courts. LBS has all these county court judgments against it, so there’s no point.”

“We’re not happy, but we did think he would never get the car back.

“I’m still at a loss as to how LBS can clamp his car, not let him pay to have it released and then transfer ownership the same night and no offence has been committed.”

An Essex Police spokeswoman explained. “The car was sold by clampers to regain the money owed to them.

“It has now been sold to an innocent member of the public.

“Police have carried out a full investigation into the removal of the car, but no criminal offences have taken place.

“The removal of the car by clampers is a civil matter.”

The spokeswoman said the clampers have agreed to return the victim’s wallet and sat nav.

She added police have kept Mr Cunningham informed about the progress of the case throughout their investigations, and he has been given advice about how to pursue the matter through the civil courts.

Mr Cunningham was clamped behind Domino’s Pizza in Webster’s Way, Rayleigh, where he works, on Wednesday, September 8.

As of September, LBS has 26 outstanding county court judgments against it, totalling £17,500 of unpaid fines, some of which date back as far as April 2009.

When asked last week about the incident, an LBS spokesman said it was a civil matter and refused to comment.