Latest news with #Harlow
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
I dismissed my headache and sore neck until I suddenly collapsed and discovered I suffer from this life-changing condition. It's rising in young people... and these are the signs doctors are missing
Laura Akers wasn't at all worried when she developed a nagging headache, sore neck and lingering cough last March. Her GP prescribed antibiotics for a suspected chest infection, but as Laura, a 34-year-old assistant head teacher and mother of one from Harlow, Essex, points out: 'It didn't seem unusual for a working mum at the end of winter.'
BBC News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Essex Police imposes dispersal order over upcoming car-meet
Police have imposed a dispersal order in two towns due to concerns about a large number of cars meeting Police has issued the order for Harlow and Epping from 18:00 BST on Saturday until 06:00 on events have involved vehicles being driven at "excessive speeds" and carrying out "dangerous manoeuvres", the force can order people suspected of being involved in the car-meet to leave the area or face arrest, banning them from returning for 48 hours. Officers will be in "key locations across both districts to enforce the order", the force abiding road users and the public would not be affected by the order, it also said. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Auto Express
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
'Scam' airport parking firm accused of hit-and-run with client's car
An airport parking firm has come under accusations of foul play as drivers have returned from their holidays to find their cars having been damaged, driven for miles and even involved in a hit-and-run accident. In April, Sophie Rose arrived back at Stansted Airport following her birthday trip to Dublin and found that her car had suffered £6,500 worth of damage after allegedly being involved in a hit-and-run in Harlow – over 14 miles away. Advertisement - Article continues below Mrs Rose had previously paid for meet-and-greet parking through a firm called Ltd, which trades under the name 'Keir Allan'. At the time of booking, Keir Allan had described itself as a service offering 'secure' parking. However, when she returned to the UK, Mrs Rose told the BBC she found her car with the 'boot up in the air and the bumper completely smashed in'. First established in August of last year, Keir Allan insists it is not responsible, nor liable, for the damage to the car, and has thus far disputed the repair costs. According to the BBC, the firm's director, Musa Ahmed, has also questioned the repair costs cited by Mrs Rose, claiming that the outcome now lies with the civil courts. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below In a statement, Mr Ahmed said: 'We refute any suggestion that customers' cars were used for any other purpose than to store and return the cars to the customers.' Ahmed did, however, admit that given the firm typically handles over 300 keys at a time, 'due to human error, keys do get misplaced'. This isn't the only complaint Keir Allan faces; victims have told the BBC that dashcam footage shows their cars were left in a Burger King car park following their drop-off, while another dropped their car off with a full tank of fuel and came back to find it almost empty. Looking online, you don't have to scroll too far to find complaints regarding Keir Allan, either; one user on Trip Advisor described the firm as 'scam artists' after coming back from holiday and seeing a significant increase in mileage on their car. Another claimed to have found their car with the tyres slashed (by who it remains to be seen) and claimed the company 'doesn't have [its] own compound' and thus leaves cars on the side of the road. Keir Allan's services have since been removed from most holiday parking websites, although Ltd remains listed as 'active' on the government's website. Come and join our WhatsApp channel for the latest car news and reviews... Find a car with the experts New Ford Fiesta: latest details on supermini's potential return New Ford Fiesta: latest details on supermini's potential return The Ford Fiesta could be coming back as an electric car, and here's everything we know so far Flawed hybrid car efficiency data to stifle UK EV sales and propagate pollution Flawed hybrid car efficiency data to stifle UK EV sales and propagate pollution Half a million extra PHEVs could reach UK roads by 2030 in place of cleaner EVs due to changes surrounding the ZEV Mandate Labour hints at major luxury car tax U-turn to boost EV sales Labour hints at major luxury car tax U-turn to boost EV sales Is pressure from retailers and car makers finally cutting through with ministers?
The Independent
23-05-2025
- The Independent
Watch moment brazen thief wrecks ambulance before stealing paramedics' bag as they treat patient
A thief was recorded on camera breaking into an ambulance and stealing a paramedics' bag as they treated a patient. The hooded figure is seen sitting near the ambulance in Harlow, Essex before smashing a window and hoisting themselves inside, where they stayed for a few moments before exiting with a black backpack in hand. The London Ambulance Service said that the damage inflicted to the ambulance meant it is now out of service whilst it is repaired. Witnesses are being urged to come forward to the Met Police with any information.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Meet-and-greet users at Stansted Airport tell of car damage and mystery miles
A woman says she has been left in a "nightmare" with up to £6,500 worth of damage to her car after leaving it with a company offering "secure" parking for airport Rose used Keir Allan's meet-and-greet service at Stansted Airport for her 30th birthday trip, but said on her return she was told her car had been in a "hit-and-run accident" 21 miles (34km) away in BBC has spoken to other Keir Allan customers whose claims include them returning to vandalised cars, finding hundreds more miles on their odometers and dash cam footage showing a trip to Burger Limited - which trades as Keir Allan - told the BBC it did not cause the damage to Mrs Rose's car so were "not liable", and disputed the repair firm said it notified Essex police of the accident and provided the force with a witness statement. On arriving back from Dublin last month, Mrs Rose's car was returned with its "boot up in the air and the bumper completely smashed in".Her insurers said that, in order to cover the repairs, she needed to claim on Keir Allan's insurance. But Mrs Rose claimed Keir Allan had "refused... and said that it's a police matter". "I contacted Essex Police and the reference number Keir Allan provided me with doesn't exist," she Rose, from Felixstowe in Suffolk, thought Keir Allan had "been nothing but rude, disrespectful".Musa Ahmed, director at Keir Allan, said Mrs Rose had received a much lower repair quote and the matter was now with the civil courts to resolve. Jamie Andersen and his father-in-law used Keir Allan for parking during a family trip to Fuerteventura from Stansted in arriving back at Stansted, Mr Andersen said they were sent a post code for the nearby village of Burton End by WhatsApp to collect their Andersen, from Haverhill in Suffolk, said they "had no choice" but to spend £40 on a taxi for seven people "not knowing if our car was there, [or] if someone was there with our key".The post code was for a yard, where Mr Andersen found a person "very overwhelmed with phone calls and angry customers".The family was taken to a makeshift "office" - a black Vauxhall Astra which contained hundreds of car keys in folders. Mr Andersen's key was there but his father-in-law's one was Andersen said his father-in-law, who was carrying a spare key at the time, had unexpected extra mileage on the clock, his dash cam had been wiped and cables Ahmed strongly denied the allegation that dashcam footage had been BBC has spoken to another customer who said he had had an extra 264 miles (425km) on the clock and a previously full tank of fuel in the red after it was left in the care of Keir Allan. Mr Andersen's dashcam footage was available and showed the car parked at a Burger King restaurant for more than an hour after he had dropped off his car."I just felt like someone had broken into my house and it wasn't a nice feeling," he said. "I know what a meet-and-greet is but you don't expect your car to be driven to a drive-through."Mr Ahmed said: "We refute any suggestion that customers cars were used for any other purpose than to store and return the cars to the customers."However, he said that "since at any one time we have over 300 keys of our customers, naturally, due to human error keys do get misplaced".He said the company reimbursed customers for the cost of any lost keys. Essex Trading Standards has had 38 airport parking complaints so far this year - compared to six in 2023 and 16 in Occhipinti, from the British Parking Association (BPA), said there were many reputable companies but that issues can "erode trust".He said the sector had an "inherent vulnerability at its core in that anybody can turn up at an airport car park with a clipboard and a high-visibility jacket and claim to be a meet and greet company"."We would really strongly recommend don't always go for the cheapest option on the market, he said. "If it's incredibly cheap there may well be a reason for that."The BPA has tried to introduce accreditation but take up has been poor, said Mr Occhipinti, and he called for further government regulation.A government spokesman said: "We are aware of concerns about some 'meet and greet' parking companies at airports."All privately operated car parks must abide by consumer law, with complaints properly investigated, ensuring fairness and protection for customers." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
