Holidaymakers have been warned after cars were left abandoned in muddy fields and their keys left in an unsecured caravan by rogue parking firms, police have revealed.
Complaints about vehicles suffering criminal damage and clocking unexplained additional mileage prompted the investigation ahead of the busy Christmas and New Year travel season.
Officers from Avon and Somerset Police visited three sites run by unofficial parking companies and found no staff present at any location in North Somerset.
The operation, conducted by Bristol Airport’s police team alongside immigration enforcement officers, North Somerset Council and the British Parking Association, revealed the alarming conditions in which travellers’ cars were being kept.
Returning holidaymakers faced chaotic scenes when trying to retrieve their vehicles from the rogue operators.
One family was instructed to catch a taxi to a farm, where they waited for an hour before being told to travel to a different farm entirely.
After a further two-hour wait at the second location, their car was finally returned to them.
Another family endured a particularly distressing experience, left stranded with two upset children until airport staff stepped in to help.
The firm stored the car keys of holidaymakers in an unsecured caravan
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AVON AND SOMERSET POLICE
Personnel from Bristol Airport escorted the family to a hotel to provide them with accommodation.
Some travellers reported being abandoned at the airport altogether, with parking operators offering various excuses for failing to return their vehicles.
Others were told to arrange their own taxis with promises of reimbursement that remain to be seen.
Sergeant Danielle Hardaway of Avon and Somerset Police warned that customers would be appalled to learn how their vehicles were being treated while they were away.
Police launched an investigation after reprots of vehicles suffering criminal damage and clocking unexplained additional mileage
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AVON AND SOMERSET POLICE
“People would be horrified if they understood how their vehicles are used and stored, and some have complained about unexplained additional mileage,” she said.
“The last thing anyone wants is the worry over whether their car will be returned to them when they return from holiday.”
During the operation, one driver employed by the unaccredited parking firms was pulled over whilst behind the wheel of a customer’s vehicle and subsequently reported for driving without insurance.
The sergeant confirmed this enforcement action followed a similar successful operation in June, with police continuing to receive complaints about unaccredited operators in the vicinity.
Councillor Annemieke Waite, North Somerset Council’s cabinet member for planning and environment, revealed that none of the off-site parking operators had ever obtained planning permission.
“When deals look too good to be true – they usually are,” she cautioned, urging travellers to scrutinise booking terms carefully.
“We urge everybody to make sure they check the full terms and conditions of any parking operator, to check review sites for other peoples’ experiences, and to look for the British Parking Association’s police-backed Park Mark Safer Parking scheme, so they have the confidence they are booking with an accredited company,” the officer stressed.
Sergeant Hardaway advised travellers to book through the airport’s official website or use companies with proper accreditation, recommending the British Parking Association’s Park Mark Safer Parking scheme.
She also encouraged anyone encountering difficulties with parking firms to report their concerns to the police or the council.
Bristol Airport chief executive Dave Lees welcomed the partnership operation targeting those who cause distress to customers.
He noted that many vehicles entrusted to these firms end up abandoned insecurely in fields and laybys, creating problems for local residents.
“We urge everyone to check the car park they are using has adequate accreditation. All of our car parks have CCTV, and are manned or patrolled 24/7, so customers have peace of mind knowing their vehicle is safely parked while they enjoy their trip away,” the airport boss said.
