Damaged vehicles, lost keys and threatened with a knives: Warning over 'rogue' Manchester Airport car parks during holidays

Families using 'rogue' car parks for Manchester Airport have been issued with an important warning after increasing reports of cars being damaged, keys being lost and customers even being threatened with a knife.

Pictures of the unofficial car parks show vehicles in the middle of what police called 'muddy fields', crammed into tiny spaces with police warning of a 'surge' in incidents during the school summer holidays, including staff being abusive and threatening towards customers and cars even being used when owners were away.

Police said that one car park site in particular, on Moss Lane in Styal, has been the centre of numerous concerning reports in which one customer said they had been 'threatened with a knife' when they challenged the safety of a vehicle being used to transport people to the airport on August 12.

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Police attended and two men were arrested on suspicion of affray. The pair, aged 21 and 52, have since been released on conditional bail. A third man, aged 48, was also arrested on August 13 on suspicion of vehicle theft, after he used a customer’s car to travel to Middlewich Custody Unit to collect his two colleagues. He has also been released on bail pending further enquiries.

Other concerning reports surrounding unofficial meet and greet car parks included damaged vehicles, lost keys and cars being seized by creditors.

Following the incidents officers and Trading Standards conducted an operation at the Moss Lane site on August 15. A minibus, used to transfer customers to the airport, was seized after it was found to be unsafe. A number of damaged vehicles were also found at the site.

Police said families should be warned