CALLOUS clampers targeted mourners at a wake for a popular Rainham Tesco supervisor who died after a battle with cancer.

Family, friends and colleagues of 37-year-old Sarah Jayne Evans had gathered en masse to raise a toast to her life at the Phoenix, Broadway, but found themselves confronted by burly employees from Essex Recovery services.

The clampers began loading four cars onto the tow trucks before demanding �350 from each of the unfortunate motorists who were using a small track at the back of the pub because the car park was full up.

After a tense stand-off for up three hours, which had to be marshalled by Havering police, the four victims handed over more than �1,200.

Sarah’s sister Kris Maynard said: “It ruined the wake really. It’s like ‘we are at a wake can you not just let it go?’ It’s just one of those really sick things, I know it can’t really make any difference but I just think they ought to be named and shamed.”

Sarah Jayne suffered skin cancer several years ago and was given the all clear after medical treatment.

Tragically the disease returned and took her life, leaving her 18-year-old son, partner and hundreds of others devastated.

After a short service at the nearby crematorium a wake was planned for the Phoenix which packed out the pub and its car park and left some people no option but to spill out on the road behind.

Despite the pleas of mourners, the clampers refused to back down and threatened to tow away the cars unless they stumped up hundreds of pounds on the spot.

Kris, 37, said: “We were supposed to be having a special day and we spent part of it having issues with them.

“One of the guys was stirring it, goading people. They didn’t even clamp the cars before they put them on the truck either, which we only realised later. It’s pretty sick.”

The company website states that Essex Recovery respects old fashioned values ‘such as honesty and integrity.

A spokesman for the firm said: “The facts are that they weren’t allowed to be there that’s why they were immobilised if they were allowed to be there then they wouldn’t have immobilised.”