Jailed: Airport bogus parking boss who dumped customers' cars in a field

A bogus Gatwick Airport parking chief, who was paid to look after cars in a secure car park but instead left them unlocked in fields, has been jailed for 14 months.

The £1.4m scam, which was run by Asad Bashir Malik, involved the cars of holidaymakers being left unlocked with their windows open and keys on the windscreen in fields in West Sussex.

The company was found out after trading standards were told that more than 1,000 vehicles were being parked in a field in Crawley, West Sussex.

An investigation by West Sussex County Council revealed fake reviews on the company website London Parking Gatwick Ltd, which was part of the ploy to mislead customers.

Thousands of customers were deceived in the two-year scam after the company promised customers a “secure compound” on the website.

Malik, of Crawley, and his company were found guilty at Brighton Crown Court of misleading customers.

He was jailed for 14 months on April 9 and disqualified from being a director for four years, but Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings are still pending.

He was caught in July 2016 after the trading standards officers visited the two fields, which were Bonnetts Lane and Keepers Knight.

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Richard Sargeant, Trading Standards team manager, said: “Malik and his company deceived thousands of customers between 2014 and 2016, causing damage to their cars and making false claims on its website.

“This was a complex investigation for our team and I am very pleased with the outcome.

“I would urge anyone using a Gatwick meet and greet business to only use a Trading Standards-approved company.”

Last year Lewes Crown Court heard that the cars were used for joyrides or to own other cars before they were parked in muddy fields.