Hundreds of passengers were stranded at the Gatwick Airport after the meet and greet car parking firm abruptly stopped trading.
Gatwick First Parking, which isn’t officially affiliated with the airport, had been operating for 10 years, keeping clients’ cars in a secure CCTV monitored compound. With their sudden cease in trading, more than hundred vehicles were abandoned in sites in Surrey and Sussex. There is no report of winding up order against the company which otherwise forces an insolvent company into compulsory liquidation.
With the help from the Sussex Police, the owners tracked down their cars. There are still 30 more cars to be found which they have found the keys of.
The Gatwick First Parking official website states that it is currently suspended. In the wake of this incident, the police have encouraged the customers to only use official Gatwick parking services.
The Sussex Police shared the incident in their social media. Sergeant Darren Taylor said that it is essential that Gatwick Airport passengers use official on-airport parking, or companies registered with Gatwick’s off-airport approved parking operators scheme only, to avoid this sort of thing from happening. They are carrying out further inquiries to locate the outstanding vehicles, and the owners of those vehicles will be contacted and kept up to date.
