HOMEOWNERS living near a popular airport say parking has become a nightmare, with holiday-makers blocking them in – so locals are taking desperate revenge.
Tourists have reportedly had their cars smashed up and covered in paint after “parking anywhere and everywhere” in a neighbourhood near Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
AlamyHoliday-makers using Liverpool John Lennon Airport face a backlash from locals[/caption]
Travellers are said to be leaving their cars for weeks on end in the city’s Speke district rather than pay for airport parking – but now furious locals are hitting back.
There have been complaints that not only are hordes of holiday-makers parking there, but also leaving their cars across driveways and public footpaths or on a central reservation – blocking people in.
Merseyside Police also said they had removed more than 70 cars during the past year for causing an obstruction, handing out “numerous fixed penalty notices to offenders”.
Now there appears to have been a backlash in the form of cars having windscreens shattered and paint hurled over them.
Local resident Nellie Abbott told how she and neighbours felt deterred from having guests or family to stay overnight, for fear of them becoming innocent victims of vandals.
She said: “Cars are parking anywhere and everywhere to avoid paying for airport parking.
“I understand people are annoyed and angry but vandalising the cars is only causing more of a financial burden to people who actually own cars on the street.
“I’ve seen cars with windows smashed, shopping trolleys on the roof, spray-painted, hay and mud and paint all over them.”
Speke residents have also taken to Facebook to share concerns about their insurance bills soaring in response to the vandal attacks.
One woman said costs were going “through the roof”, while another comment said: “It puts Speke as a high-risk area so all car insurance will be high for anyone living there.”
Liverpool Airport parking fees are £5 for up to ten minutes opposite the terminal, £10 for 20 minutes and £25 for up to an hour.
Airport officials also point towards a drop-off point free for as long as 40 minutes but charged at £8 for an hour – and say it’s closer to the terminal than the roads being complained about.
They also say the airport’s parking charges are “in line with fees charged at other airports and in many cases they are lower”.
And they backed calls for a residents-only parking permit scheme for the Speke area, while also insisting they had asked local private hire firms to use official airport car parks rather than nearby roads.
An airport spokesperson told The Sun Online: “We are naturally disappointed to see drivers parking on public roads adjacent to the airport who are clearly doing this so as not to incur any parking charges.
“This is despite there being a free drop-off/pick-up car park at the airport which is closer to the terminal than where the majority of these vehicles appear to be parking on adjacent roads, forcing their passengers to walk further.
“We are currently assessing all our car parks to ensure that we can meet the increase in demand due to the expected growth in passengers numbers next year with the commencement of flights by Jet2.”
Liverpool City Council chiefs are understood to have held a meeting with Merseyside Police yesterday to discuss potential action ahead.
And the force this afternoon confirmed to The Sun Online they had received a report about a car in Speke coming under attack.
The force said: “Police officers from local policing and roads policing regularly patrol the area around the John Lennon Airport to deal with any road traffic violations such as parking obstructions and prevent offences from taking place.
“We can confirm that in past week we received one report where a car window was smashed and mobile phones were stolen from the vehicle parked on Damwood Road.
“Officers are in regular discussions with Liverpool City Council Highways department, John Lennon Airport and residents, and we continually monitor road traffic issues on Hale Road, which is an access road to the airport.”
The Sun Online has also approached Liverpool City Council for comment.
Cars have been vandalised before in Speke, with white lines spray-painted on them and signs put up saying “this is not a car park”.
Consumer group Which? recently advised holiday-makers to consider renting garages and driveways in response to soaring airport parking fees.
But a study suggested Liverpool was the third cheapest airport in the UK for parking, while Birmingham, Leeds Bradford and London Luton came out as most expensive.