Up to 80 cars 'stolen' from Heathrow airport parking company as man arrested on suspicion of theft
6 February 2023, 13:15 | Updated: 6 February 2023, 14:10
Over 80 holiday-goers, who paid up to £145 to leave their cars with Heathrow valet company Terminal Universal, have claimed their vehicles were stolen.
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Police have arrested a man on suspicion of theft following a chain of reports that holiday-goers have returned back to the UK to find their cars missing.
A 25-year-old man has been arrested but released pending further enquiries as detectives continue to investigate airport parking firm, Terminal Universal.
Travellers flying from London's Heathrow airport left their keys with the meet-and-greet company but returned to find their cars missing and the firm failing to answer calls.
Officers continue to locate the cars, reporting that 70 have already been recovered - with some reportedly found in a field around 15 miles from the airport.
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Terminal Universal has received a string of negative reviews on reviewing platform, Trustpilot, with furious customers claiming their cars were stolen by the firm, with some sharing that their cars had eventually been found in bad condition and with empty petrol tanks.
One customer even claimed that on returning back to their home, they had received a speeding ticket dated during their holiday.
In one review, a customer called out Heathrow Airport, writing: "They clearly don't check to see if the companies they advertise on their site are legitimate."
Scotland Yard said it has received around 80 separate reports of stolen cars in the space of a month.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Detectives based at Heathrow Airport are investigating a number of reports of stolen vehicle linked to a meet and greet parking service which operated from the airport.
"Over the last month, police have received around 80 separate reports of vehicles, which had been left in the care of the meet and greet company but had not been returned.
"Around 70 of these vehicles have been recovered and work is under way to return them to their owners.
"Enquiries into the circumstances continue, including to locate any remaining vehicles."
