Police warn holidaymakers about rogue Bristol Airport parking firms

People were left stranded after unofficial companies damaged their vehicles and racked up unauthorised mileage. Credit: Avon and Somerset Police

Police are urging holidaymakers to stick to official airport parking companies after they uncovered shocking abuses by operators near Bristol Airport.Avon and Somerset Police carried out a day of action on 3 June targeting unofficial parking firms, uncovering a litany of problems affecting customers’ vehicles while they were away on holiday.

The operation, conducted alongside North Somerset Council, the Immigration Enforcement Team and the Motor Insurance Bureau, found that some customers’ cars had been involved in parking and driving offences, driven by suspected uninsured individuals, or returned in an “undriveable or unroadworthy” condition.

Officers were forced to locate and return 20 vehicles to their owners after unofficial meet-and-greet companies failed to hand them back promptly, leaving families waiting “for hours” after landing at Bristol Airport.

There was also the discovery of customer car keys being transported in a highly insecure manner.

Police found one vehicle being used to drive around the area returning keys to customers, with dozens of keys “piled up on the front seat and in the footwell” leaving them at risk of theft.

Customers’ keys were insecure and piled up on car seats and footwells

Sgt Danielle Hardaway, one of the senior officers involved in the operation, said: “We have had reports of cars being returned damaged or with excess mileage and, in some cases, have been driven by people who are uninsured as well as being involved in driving offences.“In some cases, vehicles left in dangerous or obstructive positions in local villages had to be towed away.”She warned customers to “always choose reputable parking operators, and to choose them carefully, and if the price seems too good to be true, then it often is.”Bristol Airport chief executive David Lees welcomed the police operation targeting what he described as “rogue operators”.“They are a nuisance to local communities and cause distress to customers who use them – with many completely unaware of where their cars end up,” he said.The police force has advised holidaymakers to look for approved businesses when choosing where to leave their vehicles whilst travelling.