Holidaymakers left stranded after Gatwick car parking nightmare
Gatwick First Parking vanishes, leaves drivers stranded
Families returning from holidays faced chaos after the company they trusted with their cars simply disappeared. Passengers flying back to the UK had booked their vehicles with Gatwick First Parking—only to find the firm has abruptly stopped trading. Shockingly, this company has no official ties to Gatwick Airport.
Sussex Police step in to rescue owners
After discovering the company’s office in Surrey, Sussex Police located more than 120 abandoned vehicles across Surrey and Sussex. With around 30 sets of keys still missing, the police explained this is a civil matter, limiting their ability to seize the keys. Instead, they launched a major effort contacting landowners and partner agencies to track down owners and return their cars.
Official parking urged to avoid disaster
Sergeant Darren Taylor, Gatwick Policing Team, warned, “It’s essential that Gatwick Airport passengers use official on-airport parking, or parking firms registered with Gatwick’s off-airport approved operators scheme, to avoid this sort of thing from happening.”
He added, “We’re continuing enquiries to find the missing vehicles and will keep owners fully updated. Our priority is returning their cars as quickly as possible.”
“We’re also extremely grateful to everyone who has helped us contact passengers and reunite them with their vehicles. Without this support, the task would have been far tougher.”
