Drivers warned of parking chaos as families stranded and cars dumped near major UK airport

The crackdown focused on unlicensed and unofficial parking firms operating in the area around the vital UK airport, the council detailed.

According to reports, they found many vehicles had been abandoned at the terminal after handing over their cars.

Some were given a series of excuses when their vehicles were not returned on time. In other cases, motorists reported strange extra mileage on their cars and signs of criminal damage.

Officers inspected three sites being used by these parking companies and found no staff present at any of them.

What the firms claimed were "offices" turned out to be nothing more than unsecured vehicles and a caravan. Inside the caravan, officers found what appeared to be piles of customers' car keys.

During the operation, police stopped a man who was driving a customer's car on behalf of one of the rogue operators. He was reported for driving without valid insurance.

Rather than being stored in secure car parks, vehicles were found dumped in muddy fields and left exposed to the weather. Cars were also left parked on roads and in lay-bys, causing frustration for local residents and increasing the risk of theft and damage.

Several families described chaotic and distressing experiences. One group was told to take a taxi to a farm to collect their car, only to be left waiting for more than an hour.

They were then redirected to a second farm, where they waited another two hours before finally getting their vehicle back.

In another case, a family travelling with two young children was left completely stranded at the airport when their car failed to arrive. Airport staff eventually stepped in and helped them get to a hotel after the parking company failed to return their vehicle.

Police officers and council staff involved in the operation also helped several confused and distressed customers who were desperately trying to find where their cars had been stored. Some were told by the parking firms to book taxis and claim the money back later.

Sergeant Danielle Hardaway, who took part in the operation, said the public would be "horrified" if they understood how their vehicles were really being treated.

She said: "People trust these firms with their cars when they go on holiday. The last thing anyone wants is to be worrying abroad about whether their car will be there when they get back."

Councillor Annemieke Waite said none of the off-site parking operators had ever been granted proper planning permission, and many had not been checked against planning rules.

Bristol Airport chief executive Dave Lees welcomed the action and said rogue parking firms were causing serious distress to customers and problems for local communities.

He said many vehicles were being left insecure in fields, roads and lay-bys, instead of being kept in the secure locations customers believed they were paying for.

Travellers heading away over the Christmas and New Year period are now being urged to take extra care when booking airport parking.

Officials recommend using trusted booking platforms or the official Bristol Airport website, checking full terms and conditions, making sure companies have a genuine physical address and landline phone number, and reading independent reviews before handing over any money.

Legitimate parking firms are usually members of recognised industry bodies such as the British Parking Association, which runs the police-backed Park Mark Safer Parking scheme.

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