A car park owner once branded “Dick Turpin” because of the reputation of his wheel-clamping operation is the focus of a television documentary.

Ted Evans will come under the spotlight for 30 minutes on Channel 4 tomorrow, filmed at his Changegate car park, in Haworth.

He was labelled Dick Turpin in a public vote in a national newspaper in 2003, which looked for the clamper with the worst reputation.

The documentary — broadcast from 7.30pm in the First Cut series, giving a showcase for new directors — was made by National Film & Television School graduate Leon Dean and shot earlier this year with Mr Evans’s support.

Mr Dean said he had spent several days in the Haworth area speaking with and filming people using the car park and residents.

He said: “I was trying to get things in perspective. I found that Ted Evans’s character was at odds with the way he is portrayed in the media. He seems to be hated, but in real life he is an affable nice guy.

"What people like about the film, those who have seen it, is that they expect to dislike him because of the clamping but are surprised when they come away liking him even though they disagree with his business.”

Mr Evans, who is also a published author, said he had not seen the final film and was unaware what was said about him.

“I hope, however, that they have put the other side of the story — my side in as fair a way as possible,” he said.

“I’ve said before that I don’t like using clamping policies so the film will at least make people aware and, hopefully, eliminate the need for such actions.” On the positive side, he hoped it would generate a few more sales of his book 2PY, now in paperback, some of the royalties from which were going to the Bradford Day Shelter.

Mr Evans has run a car park in Haworth for more than 20 years.