Bristol Airport parking company move family's car to a field 11 miles away while they're on holiday
Eleanor Gray
Published Mar 22, 2026
A FAMILY who shelled out for valet airport parking were forced to spend the early hours of the morning tracking their car to a muddy field.
Dad Gavin Thomas, 37, ended up paying hundreds of pounds to get his family back to Cardiff after a Bristol Airport parking service dumped his BMW 11 miles away.
12
Absolutely Secure Airport Parking failed to pick up the phone nearly 50 times after Gavin's family landed at 1am after a flight to Fuerteventura.
He was eventually told that the company had no idea where his car was - so hailed a cab to find it using a tracking app.
After eventually finding it dumped near Weston-Super-Mare, he was forced to head back to the airport after learning that the company had lost his keys.
He told WalesOnline: "I rang them 49 times and they didn’t answer so I had to go to the security desk at Bristol Airport who had an alternative number.
12
12
12
12
"They said ‘we can’t find the key’ and they didn’t know where my car was.
"Everyone was in the same boat, in the airport there were 30 other people."
“I went there and it was just caravans with a box full of keys. There were no security gates, my car was just in a field.”
"There were boot marks inside on the backseat almost like someone had been lying on it. It was in a field with one other car."
12
12
12
12
"It cost me £36 to get there and back and my family were in Bristol Airport."
After returning to the airport he was finally contacted by the company at 5:46am - only for them to claim that the car wasn't where he had seen it.
He added: "We were told over and over that the car would be there in half an hour. At 6am I had a message from them saying ‘we have no drivers’.
“We got a National Express coach for £98 from Bristol Airport to Cardiff . All in all it will be nigh on £200 without thinking about a half day off.
12
12
Yesterday we told how families' vehicles left unattended in nearby lay-bys or crammed onto farmers' fields.
Some vehicles were even dumped on country lanes and in pub car parks.
Police said they are investigating the incident after a "significant" number of motorists were unable to recover their vehicles from a "meet and greet" parking firm.
Bristol Airport said Absolutely Secure Airport Parking was not connected with the airport.
12
MOST READ IN NEWS
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said: “We’re aware of reports relating to an independent parking company offering valet services to Bristol Airport passengers.
“A significant number of motorists have been unable to retrieve their vehicles from the company.
“We’re investigating and are keeping an open mind as to whether any criminal offences have been committed.
“Anyone affected by this incident is asked to call 101 and ask to speak to the Bristol Airport team.”
Absolutely Secure Airport Parking has been contacted for comment by The Sun Online.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
