Rogue airport car park where vehicles were ‘dumped in muddy fields’ shut down
A car park near Manchester Airport has been closed down as part of a crackdown on rogue meet and greet car parking firms. Cheshire Constabulary has confirmed that the makeshift site at Lode Hill in Styal has been shut down permanently. It came after a number of holidaymakers using the airport reported that they had come back to find their cars at the ‘muddy’ site and had been driven hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles while they had been away.
Other issues reported include incidents of car theft and criminal damage. People would book the meet and greet service online, believing they were paying for professional, secure airport parking. In reality, the firms running the service had no affiliation with Manchester Airport.
READ MORE: Teenagers bailed after ‘car driven through crowds’ at Congleton Christmas market The car park had been set up in the grounds of a former country house at Lode Hill. Agencies carried out an operation at the site in June and the owners have since agreed to remove the current tenants.
Inspector Andrew Baker, Beat Manager at Macclesfield Local Policing Unit, said: “This is an absolutely fantastic result both for holidaymakers and for the local community, and I would like to thank the owner of this site for their co-operation.
Holidaymakers who used an airport meet and greet firm found their cars trapped in a field in Styal, Cheshire, after returning to Manchester Airport (Image: Megan Kelly)
“The car park that was operating from the site was simply not fit for purpose and not what customers thought that they were paying for. Many people using this car park made their bookings through online comparison sites, believing that they were booking professional, secure airport parking which are linked to the airport. “In reality, the Lode Hill site had no affiliation to the airport whatsoever, and the cars were simply dumped in muddy fields.
Not only that, but the site also had a hugely detrimental impact on local the community.” The final cars parked at Lode Hill were removed from the site last week and the owner of the land has now taken responsibility for the site. Inspector Baker added: “While this car park has now been closed, there are still other rogue car parks operating in the region.
“Therefore, I would encourage anyone who is planning their holiday and looking to book a parking slot, to do their research, choose a reputable company and always book through an official website and don’t just go for the cheapest option.”
Holidaymakers who used an airport meet and greet firm found their cars trapped in a field in Styal, Cheshire, after returning to Manchester Airport (Image: MEN)
A Manchester Airport spokesperson added: “We are grateful to Cheshire Constabulary and its partner agencies for the work they are doing to tackle this issue and will continue to work with them to raise awareness of the risks posed by booking airport parking through these unscrupulous companies. “In addition to our own official parking products, there are a number of reliable and reputable third-party providers located near the airport and we would always urge passengers to do their research before handing over their keys. “We encourage customers to use initiatives such as Park Mark and the government-backed Buy with Confidence scheme to find a provider that has undergone a series of detailed checks and is committed to trading fairly.”
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