Steven Kieser was driving home when his car broke down in the early hours of Sunday morning.

He pushed it into the car park of the Coach House carvery pub on the A32 Fareham Road, Gosport, before leaving a note explaining what had happened.

But when he went back 13 hours later the car had been towed away, leaving him £420 out of pocket after paying the release fee.

He later took the car to the garage to get it fixed, but mechanics told him he had simply run out of petrol.

Mr Kieser, 21, of Tudor Close, Gosport said: 'It's been the most expensive tank of petrol I've ever had to pay for!

'I left a note saying I had broken down and I'd be back to pick it up. But they showed no sympathy.

'The sign in the car park also said it would cost £300, but they charged me £420, saying the sign was wrong.

'I want to warn others and I'm a bit unhappy that I was charged an extra £120.'

Mr Kieser's car was towed away by Hi Viz Security, in Quay Lane, Gosport, which, by law, can charge what it wants to release vehicles.

The company said it had increased its charges from £300 to £420 because of the 'credit crunch'. But it admitted the new price was only displayed on one of the four signs in the pub car park.

Managing director Martin Cooke said: 'The carvery was in the middle of its busiest trading day and he had parked so badly that it was taking up two bays.

'I won't take the other signs down but I will black out the £300 price to avoid confusion.' Coach House manager Jason Brodie-Browne said the pub had employed Hi Viz Security when it changed from the North Star in September last year.

He said: 'We haven't got a very big car park. We get more customers on Sunday and we need to keep it free for them.'

sion.donovan@thenews.co.uk

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