Holidaymaker who left car at airport returns to find 50 extra miles on clock and speeding ticket

The £100,000 Range Rover had been driven to Stockport and back on three separate occasions

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A Lancashire businessman who left his £100,000 Range Rover with a Manchester Airport meet and greet firm returned from his holiday to find 50 extra miles on the clock and a speeding ticket.

Steve Taylor, 55, from Milnrow in Rochdale, paid £72 to leave his luxury vehicle with Manchester Airport Parking Services Ltd on 6 June.

Upon returning from a 13-day break in Canada, he was shocked to discover 50 additional miles on the odometer, despite claiming that staff had assured him his car would be parked just 500 metres from the airport.

The construction firm director consulted his mileage tracker and found that his luxury 4x4 had been driven to Stockport and back on three separate occasions, including a 1.15am journey around Stockport on 10 June which resulted in him being issued with a speeding fine.

Taylor also found that all his radio stations had been changed.

Manchester Airport Parking Services, which is also known as Meet and Greet Manchester Airport Parking Services, initially stated that his vehicle had simply been moved from one compound to another, citing “works going on around the airport” when challenged.

After being presented with the evidence from Taylor’s route tracker, the company finally admitted responsibility.

Taylor received an email from the company on 28 June which read: “We are sorry for the delays, we are very apologetic for the misuse of the vehicle and the driver involved in the incident has been fired, we have a car park at Higher Bury St and also another in Styal Wimlsow, we have looked at the tracker info you sent to us and have reviewed it and we admit the car had been misused. We would like to reimburse you for the petrol used and the misuse of the vehicle with a refund for the parking. Please let us know how you would like to proceed further thank you.”

Despite this, Taylor told Manchester Evening News that the firm has refused to acknowledge the speeding ticket, a document issued while he was in Vancouver.

“I have made over 20 phone calls but nobody is answering,” he said.

When contacted about the outstanding ticket, Manchester Airport Parking Services Ltd said: “We were only contacted by this customer a few days ago and asked for time to investigate and have assured the customer that we will take responsibility if we are at fault, however we need a copy of the speeding ticket as we so far have no evidence of any speeding ticket.

“We have since contacted the customer for the evidence of a speeding ticket and also offered to pay towards any petrol as a gesture of good will.”