Airport car park workers raced at 100mph (From The Argus)

Airport car park workers raced at 100mph

11:03pm Monday 26th February 2007 in News

Staff at an airport parking company raced a customer's car at more than 100mph while they were meant to be looking after it, the BBC's Watchdog programme claims tonight.

Gatwick-based Pink Meet and Greet claimed to take customers' cars to a secure compound after they had handed over their keys outside the terminal.

Watchdog researchers left a car with the company, complete with a covert tracker device hidden inside to allow them to trace its movements.

The programme, to be screened at 7pm on BBC One tonight, claims the car was in a secure compound for only two of the five days that had been booked.

On the other days, it was left by the side of a busy road or in a supermarket car park. At other times it was driven at high speed - at 106mph on one occasion.

The investigation followed complaints from customers who claimed they had received speeding fines for dates they had been abroad, had excessive mileage or found their vehicles damaged when they picked them up.

In one instance, it was claimed, a customer's car had been involved in an accident and the Pink Meet and Greet driver had fled the scene.

Watchdog editor Rob Unsworth said: "It's terrifying to think that while your car was supposedly securely parked, someone could have been more or less joyriding it down the motorway."

The company was unavailable for comment yesterday but has told the programme it blamed individual members of staff and it is no longer trading.

Graeme Macpherson, of West Sussex County Council's trading standards department, could not confirm whether Pink Meet and Greet was still in operation.

Gatwick Airport Ltd said Pink Meet and Greet was not approved or endorsed and was among a number of unlicensed operators which use Gatwick's forecourts to provide services.

A statement added: "Operating in an area available for use by the general public, it is extremely difficult to identify and restrict access to such providers.

"Gatwick Airport Ltd, however, continues to work with the local authorities around the airport to encourage the prompt closure of any unauthorised car parks.

"All valet parking cars booked through Gatwick Airport Ltd are parked on airport in secure car parks, which are monitored 24 hours a day and are fence and barrier controlled.

"Gatwick Airport Ltd has recently invested over £30 million in its car parking facilities, including the £1.1 million upgrading of valet parking.

"Cars are parked by professional, insured drivers within close proximity of the terminal buildings."

Gatwick Airport Ltd asked customers unsure about meet and greet operators to book valet parking via the website www.gatwickairport.com.