Couple's Mercedes goes missing after its parked by meet-and-greet firm

Manchester Airport meet-and-greet firm loses couple’s £10,000 Mercedes after charging them £77 to park it… then dumping it in a muddy field

• The couple left their car at  Meet and Greet Manchester Airport Services Ltd
• When they returned from holiday staff couldn’t find their car
• Police confirmed the couple’s silver Mercedes has been reported stolen 

A Barnsley couple, who left their Mercedes with an airport meet-and-greet, returned from their holiday to find their car had disappeared.

Lisa Hook and Antony Smith paid £77 to leave their car in a muddy field near Manchester Airport while they went on a two-week holiday to Turkey.  

When they returned on October 8, the firm who parked their car, Meet and Greet Manchester Airport Services Ltd, said they couldn’t find their car. 

Police confirmed the couple’s silver Mercedes C-class 220 CDI AMG sport edition has been reported as stolen and is still missing. 

Lisa Hook and Antony Smith from Barnsley  paid £77 to leave their car in a muddy field near Manchester Airport while they went on a two-week holiday to Turkey

Lisa and Antony, from Barnsley, said they got a taxi to the firm’s site in Styal and were shocked by the muddy rutted fields where cars are left.    

‘We couldn’t believe it when we saw what it looked like in daylight,’ Lisa told the Manchester Evening News.

‘It was shocking. All those people who book with these firms don’t realise where they’re actually leaving their car.’

The car park is not affiliated with Manchester Airport and the meet-and-greet parking was booked via a website called Fly Park Plus. 

Two site visits and numerous calls later, the parking firm said they couldn’t locate the car.

Lisa, 50, a warehouse operator, and Antony, a wagon driver, said they had saved for years for the car. They say it is worth around £10,000 and in immaculate condition.

When they returned on October 8, the firm Meet and Greet Manchester Airport Services Ltd said they couldn’t find their car. (This is where cars are parked at Manchester Airport Meet and Greet Services Ltd in Styal).

‘We followed all of the instructions we were given on the booking email,’ said Lisa.

‘On the way out we called the number half-an-hour before we arrived, as instructed, and dropped the car off with one of their drivers.

‘He knew our names and our booking. He took it and we assumed it would be returned to us when we came back.

‘We rang after we’d landed and they said they couldn’t find the car.

‘There were a lot of phone calls back and forth – all in the early hours of the morning.

‘First they were saying they couldn’t find the car, then they couldn’t locate the keys and then they started denying we had ever left our car with them,’ she added.

‘They gave us the address to head up to the car park in Styal. When we got there the women who we had spoken to on the phone started saying they weren’t the company we’d booked with.

Police confirmed the couple’s silver Mercedes C-class 220 CDI AMG sport edition has been reported as stolen. (The field where cars are parked at Manchester Airport Meet and Greet Services Ltd in Styal).

‘At one point she asked if we were sure we’d dropped it off at the right place.

‘It was ridiculous. We’d not put it in the suitcase and took it with us.’  

‘Police were called shortly after 8.30am on Tuesday 8 October 2019 after a vehicle left with a third-party meet and greet company unaffiliated to Manchester Airport failed to be returned to its owner and was subsequently reported stolen,’ Greater Manchester police said. 

Meet and Greet Manchester Airport Services Ltd said they are co-operating with police.

Mr Ali, day-time dispatch manager, said: ‘We are not sure what happened to the vehicle.

Meet and Greet Manchester Airport Services Ltd said they are co-operating with police. (The field where cars are parked at Manchester Airport Meet and Greet Services Ltd in Styal).

‘We can’t say what happened and we haven’t been faced with this kind of situation for a while.

‘It is on our system and we should have the vehicle. We know it came into the car park and then exited the car park.

‘We are working with the police and checking all of the CCTV footage minute-by-minute.

‘We will also be checking the CCTV footage at the airport car park to see who collected the car.

‘It’s quite a big issue for us at the moment and we’re looking into it.’

With regard to the state of the car park, Mr Ali said there had been a lot of rainfall and that improvements were going to be made to the site.

A Manchester Airport spokesman, said: ‘Meet and Greet Manchester Airport Services has no affiliation to Manchester Airport and does not offer official airport car parking.

‘We would urge any customers to thoroughly research the company they book their parking with before handing their keys over..’

‘If anyone has any doubts about if their car parking is officially associated with Manchester Airport they can verify it with our customer services team.

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