Luton Airport fire: Users of fire-hit car park 'left in limbo'

The fire service said up to 1,500 vehicles were in the car park when a fire started on Tuesday

Passengers who left their vehicles at Luton Airport say they have been "left in limbo" after fire ripped through one of the car parks.

Terminal Car Park Two at Luton Airport was severely damaged by the blaze on Tuesday.

Katie Forbes, from Coventry, said she had struggled to get answers from the airport about what happened to her car.

"I've had no joy," she said. "I've heard nothing back, I've been tweeting them, everything, and nothing."

Mrs Forbes, who travelled to Fuerteventura after parking in the car park that was later ravaged by the fire, said she felt "kind of left in limbo".

"I get it, they're getting other people that are going to the airport, but to me there's been no apology, not once has anybody said 'we're sorry about the situation'," she said.

Katie Forbes, who has a vehicle in the fire-hit car park, said an apology from the airport would go "a long way"

The 42-year-old added her daughter had left her own car keys in the parked car as well, and said the incident has had a negative impact on their holiday.

"It's hard to do anything, you can't relax around the pool because you're constantly looking at your phone to see 'have they emailed, have we got an update?'

"There's just been nothing."

Thomas Willett, from Essex, travelled to Gran Canaria with his partner on Tuesday and also has a vehicle in car park two.

"I received an email from Luton Airport Parking on Wednesday at 2am telling us to email them to get information about our car," the 29-year-old said.

He said he had emailed the company three times since but not had a reply.

Mr Willet said he had not been told if his car was damaged.

The couple are due to return home on Sunday but said: "Currently we have no means of getting back home."

Passenger Lucy Lynam said: "I can only imagine they're operating in crisis mode behind the scenes"

Lucy Lynam, from Hertfordshire, said she was "none the wiser" about the state of her car and was "expecting the worst".

The 42-year-old accountant parked her car on Tuesday morning, on her way to Majorca, and first heard about the fire on Tuesday evening.

However, she praised Luton Airport's communication, adding she had been emailed "a couple of times with updates".

She said: "I'm parked on level 2 against the perimeter fence... which, from the videos, seems where the bulk of the damage has happened.

"They've emailed me a couple of times with updates and whilst there's little specific info around my individual vehicle, they've kept me up to date."

Emergency services arrived at Luton Airport on Tuesday night

A London Luton Airport spokesperson said: "We understand the distress this incident has caused for our car parking customers, and that many are still anxious for more detail.

"We are sorry that we have not been able to respond as quickly as we would have liked. We have contacted all customers who have booked with us directly and are working hard to provide more details as soon as possible.

"However, this a complex, and ever-changing situation and as the car park cannot be accessed safely, we are unable to confirm the condition of any individual vehicle at this time.

"We are working with APCOA Parking and the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) who will co-ordinate with the various vehicle insurance companies."

The Dart shuttle is still not operating and a shuttle bus is running as a temporary replacement.

The pick up and drop off point remains at the mid-stay car park, which is a 10 minute walk from the terminal.

A shuttle bus is available for those that require assistance, the airport said.