Of on holiday.

[brucemillar]

FRONT PAGE






Devinder Singh. Metropolitan Police
Heathrow parking service boss 'used customers luxury cars as his own'

TOM MARSHALL

The boss of a Heathrow airport parking service has admitted driving around in a £60,000 Range Rover while the owner was on holiday.

Devinder Singh, 30, admitted using the woman’s car without her consent at Ealing Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The woman had paid to leave her car with his parking company before catching a flight from Heathrow.

When she returned, she found the mileage had gone up “significantly” and the car was in its “off-road” setting, which she had never used.

The car’s GPS tracker showed that Singh – who was also banned from driving at the time – had taken the Range Rover Sport to “various” addresses including his home while the woman was away, police said.

Singh, of Cygnet Avenue, Feltham, also admitted driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

He has previously been convicted of similar driving offences in relation to his business, police said.

Detective Inspector Ian Robinson of Aviation policing said: "This was a betrayal of his customers’ trust by brazenly using their cars while they were away on holiday without their knowledge.

“He would have continued to do this had he not been caught.

"The travelling public must be careful to use reputable companies when leaving their motor vehicles whilst travelling from Heathrow airport.”

He received a suspended six-week jail sentence, a five-year ban from driving, and was ordered to pay £350 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[John]

I used to use the hotel parking on the left as you approached Heathrow back in the early noughties.

I only had a 328i Sport back then, so they would have been bitterly disappointed, but I wonder if they ever did that as you left keys with them.

 

[AMGeed]

I used Purple Parking at Luton once. My car was nowhere near where I'd been told to park it. I had my suspicions about it being used but stupidly didn't record the mileage when parking.

Re the case above, the parking "boss" convicted should have been ordered to compensate the owner for using her car as a private taxi.

 

[Bonecho]

I am at Luton airport daily and there is basically just one independent meet and greet operator up their called Swift but who might be used by other parking companies.

I am amazed how busy their operation is and the fact that almost every driver they employ looks like a young failed asylum seeker who drive off at high speed in other peoples luxury motors. How anyone thinks it is a good idea to trust someone they have never met with their car astounds me.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Off

 

[bpsorrel]

We always use the Long Term Official parking at Luton which is in Percival Way. You park yourself, keep your keys and a little transfer bus takes you to the terminal.

I'd never leave any of my cars with someone who takes it off me and parks! A friend of mine used to work for a Heathrow parking company and he had lots of tales of staff using customer's high end cars

 

[alzieboy]

Only ever used meet and greet services once , the Wife's Golf GTTDI at the time was new 2005 . The guy who drove the car away (EE) took off like a lunatic .
Spent the holiday worrying if the car would be okay and was it such a good idea to use this type of service.
Anyway on our return all was okay with the car which did have an extra 18 miles on the clock. Now only ever use Long Term using the shuttle bus , with keys kept in our possession.

 

[KennyN]

How anyone thinks it is a good idea to trust someone they have never met with their car astounds me.

My thoughts exactly when i recently took the wifes Scenic to the local "foreign" car valet center , there were loads of prestige cars left to be worked on whilst their owners were off doing some shopping minus their keys.

Kenny

 

[Steveml63]

Hi,
It's funny how times and attitudes change.
When living in the UK, I used to really worry about my little BMW 123d M-sport and would not use any valet services or meet and greet - in case somebody abused my car.
Now, living in Abu Dhabi and driving two cars worth over £150,000 (ML63 and Infiniti G37S coupe) - we use valet parking everywhere, like everybody else does here!
Was at a bank the other day - guy arrives in his Red Ferrari 458 - gets out leaving engine running (to keep car cool with the A/C), goes into bank and comes back about 10 minutes later - then drives off.
Dubai Mall luxury valet parking area is like a car show of Bugattis, Rolls Royces, Ferraris, G wagons, Bentleys etc. every weekend!
Cheers
Steve

 

[derektrotter]

Hi,
It's funny how times and attitudes change.
When living in the UK, I used to really worry about my little BMW 123d M-sport and would not use any valet services or meet and greet - in case somebody abused my car.
Now, living in Abu Dhabi and driving two cars worth over £150,000 (ML63 and Infiniti G37S coupe) - we use valet parking everywhere, like everybody else does here!
Was at a bank the other day - guy arrives in his Red Ferrari 458 - gets out leaving engine running (to keep car cool with the A/C), goes into bank and comes back about 10 minutes later - then drives off.
Dubai Mall luxury valet parking area is like a car show of Bugattis, Rolls Royces, Ferraris, G wagons, Bentleys etc. every weekend!
Cheers
Steve

Bit off topic but out of interest what do you do there? was considering a IT contract offer there..

 

[Mike Walker]

Off on holiday

Off

Good spot Lewy.

I noted that as well but thought it was better to let it pass as Bruce has enough to worry about at the moment - serious illness recently, car engine issues etc etc.

Sadly you don't seem the thoughtful type which is a shame. Let's hope your attitude doesn't end up coming back to haunt you.

Have a good day.

 

[Steveml63]

Bit off topic but out of interest what do you do there? was considering a IT contract offer there..

Hi
My wife is a consultant surgeon and I own a consultancy company.
Cheers
Steve