David Evans, of Pool Rise, Shrewsbury celebrates

A Shropshire man who staged a birthday sit-in in his camper van to prevent it being towed away was today claiming victory after vehicle licensing bosses backed down.

David Evans, 54, from Pool Rise, Springfield, in Shrewsbury, was shocked to discover his van had been clamped by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on a patch of ground he believed to be his driveway.

On Monday he staged a sit-in and held a party to celebrate his birthday in the van with family and friends before spending the night in it .

Yesterday Mr Evans watched as officials arrived to take away vehicles from two of his neighbours’ homes but they left his vehicle in place as he was sitting in the back of it, with a car with deflated tyres blocking its path.

Mr Evans claims his campervan does not require tax as it was built in 1973 but when he contacted the DVLA he said he was told the vehicle had to have been registered before January of that year and that they had a record of it first being licensed in October.

But now the DVLA has done a u-turn and agreed to remove the clamp to give Mr Evans time to resolve the issue.

They arrived shortly after 9am today to remove the clamp.

Karen Joseph, DVLA spokeswoman, said: “If the vehicle is exempt you still have to display a tax disc which you don’t pay for.

“If it falls outside of tax free status it must be taxed like any other vehicle.

“The wheelclamp will be removed and we will allow the gentleman to legitimise his vehicle.”

She added that each situation was managed on a “case by case” basis and that in this case Mr Evans would not have to pay the £260 release fee.

Mr Evans said he was pleased with the news.

He said: “It’s a result – that’s all I wanted for them to take it off so I can move it inside the gate to my house.

“I will either do it up or take it to pieces.

“The DVLA have shown they’ve got a bit of common sense, I’m pleased.”

By Emma Kasprzak