Latest news with #Stansted
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Fourth man arrested at Stansted Airport in connection with Sir Keir Starmer arson attacks in north London
A 48-year-old man has been arrested at Stansted Airport on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson, becoming the fourth man held over attacks on two properties and a car linked to Sir Keir Starmer, the Metropolitan Police said. More to follow
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?
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Meet-and-greet users 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 passengers. Sophie 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 Harlow. The 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 King. 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 costs. The 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 said. Mrs 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 April. On 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 vehicles. Mr 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 missing. Mr 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 disconnected. Mr Ahmed strongly denied the allegation that dashcam footage had been deleted. The 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 2024. Isaac 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. Essex Trading Standards British Parking Association 'My partner can't cope with child abusers on his prison wing' Why are people living in the shadow of 'mega-sheds'? 'Car cloning made me dread the morning post'
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.
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas pleads guilty to £600,000 cannabis importation charge
Footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has pleaded guilty to a cannabis importation charge over an attempt to smuggle £600,000 of the drug through Stansted airport from Thailand. The 34-year-old striker was sacked by Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton after his arrest last year. The player who came through the Arsenal academy and was given his professional debut by Arsène Wenger in 2010, also played for Ipswich, Bristol City and QPR before moving north of the border. He changed his plea to guilty at a hearing on 7 May meaning his case can now be reported after reporting restrictions were lifted on Wednesday. Emmanuel-Thomas pleaded guilty at Chelmsford crown court to fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of cannabis between 1 July 2024 and 2 September 2024. He had previously denied the charges when asked to enter a plea in October last year. The footballer, who has also played for Scottish clubs Livingston and Aberdeen and Thai side PTT Rayong, was remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing on a date to be fixed. Emmanuel-Thomas, of Cardwell Road, Gourock, Inverclyde, Scotland, was arrested in the town by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers in September 2024. His arrest came after the NCA seized an estimated £600,000 of the class B drug as it was being smuggled through Stansted on 2 September. Border Force officers detected roughly 60kg (132lb) of the drug in two suitcases, which had arrived via a flight from Bangkok, Thailand. Co-defendants Rosie Rowland and Yasmin Piotrowska, who both denied the charge, face no further action after prosecutors offered no evidence in their case. Prosecutor David Josse KC said that 'at all material times they maintained both before the events that led to the importation and after the events they said they thought they were importing gold not cannabis'. Judge Christopher Morgan directed that not guilty verdicts be recorded in the case of Rowland and Piotrowska and they walked free from the dock. Rowland, 29, of Southend Road, Chelmsford, Essex, and 33-year-old Piotrowska, of Purves Road, Kensal Rise, north-west London, wept after leaving the dock. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Emmanuel-Thomas appeared at Wednesday's hearing by video-link from Chelmsford prison. He was asked if he would like to appear at his sentencing in person or by video-link and he asked that it be in person, with the date for this hearing to be set administratively.
