Manchester Airport and Manchester City Council is urging all passengers travelling throughout the busy summer holiday season to be aware of “illegal” parking scams.
The fresh warning has been issued after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and Cheshire Constabulary joined forces back in June in an attempt to tackle “rouge” carparks and the fake firms running them by launching Operation Cicero – a multi-agency crackdown.
Operation Cicero was launched after an increase in the number of holidaymakers reporting issues relating to meet-and-greet car parks over the last six months.
Some of the reports police forces have already received this year include more than 55 incidents at the Lode Hill and Moss Lane car parks alone – with incidents raging from car thefts and criminal damage, to travellers returning home to find that their cars have been driven hundreds, even thousands, of miles away while they’ve been on holiday.
In April alone, around 150 people returned home to find that their car keys were missing and their vehicles were stuck in a boggy field in Styal, although officers were able to resolve matters and the cars were returned to their rightful owners.
Rogue parking firms have also previously caused problems in the Wythenshawe area too, leaving vehicles for long periods of time on residential streets, despite claiming they would be stored securely.
Manchester Airport urges all passengers travelling through the busy summer season to be aware of “illegal” parking scams / Credit: Cheshire Police
But, with the airport now entering what is likely to be its busiest month since 2019, those set to travel are being urged to “do their due diligence” on firms offering parking services before making a booking.
“We continue to take the issue of rogue meet and greet firms very seriously,” explained Chris Woodroofe – Managing Director at Manchester Airport.
“In addition to our own official parking, there are a number of reliable and reputable third-party providers located near the airport and we would always urge passengers to do their research before handing over their keys.
“We encourage customers to use initiatives such as Park Mark and the government-backed Buy with Confidence scheme to find a provider that has undergone a series of detailed checks and is committed to trading fairly.”
The airport is also taking action to “combat congestion” caused by the increased number of taxis and private hire vehicles travelling throughout the summer.
The airport is also taking action to “combat congestion” caused by the increased number of taxis and private hire vehicles / Credit: GMP Manchester Airport
Although the airport operates a dedicated Private Hire waiting area for drivers to use in between jobs, some firms have been found to be avoiding this and parking up in neighbouring residential areas instead, so to prevent this, the airport has cut the cost of this waiting area in half to just £1 for up to three hours during the school summer holidays.
The airport says it will consider renewing the scheme over subsequent busy periods if it proves successful.
“We understand that for taxi drivers, particularly those based some distance from the airport, it makes financial sense to wait in the area for a return fare rather than to make the return journey without a passenger,” Mr Woodroofe continued.
“However, when a high number of private hire vehicles wait in neighbouring residential areas, it can create congestion and increase the risk of inconsiderate or illegal parking.
“That is why we have introduced this scheme for the summer holiday period, which we expect will alleviate pressure on street parking capacity in areas such as Wythenshawe and Woodhouse Park, by providing an affordable alternative for commercial drivers who need to remain in the area for extended periods.”
Featured Image – Cheshire Police
News
Def Leppard announce HUGE arena gig in Manchester next year
Thomas Melia
English Glam Rock band Def Leppard have announced a brand new UK tour which features a stop in one of Manchester’s big arenas next year.
Known for hits like ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’, ‘Animal’, ‘Love Bites’ and more, Def Leppard are back on the road and they’re heading out on a UK tour.
The band has achieved worldwide acclaim since entering the rock scene with their first-ever single, ‘Wasted’, back in 1979, and their success resulted in getting inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
In 2023, Def Leppard teamed up with fellow metalheads Motley Crüe for the ultimate ‘Rock of Ages’, playing a spell-bounding gig at Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000 people.
The rock legends are continuing their career-highlight streak as now they’re about to play one of Manchester’s largest arenas, Co-op Live, sending 23,500 fans into ‘Hysteria’.
This upcoming Def Leppard UK tour sees the band making their way to Glasgow, Sheffield, London and Birmingham before visiting the music capital of the North.
The love for these rockers isn’t slowing down either, as their latest album ‘Drastic Symphonies’, a collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, scored Def Leppard their highest charting record in 32 years, debuting at number 4.
Fans will be over the moon to know that the five-piece visiting Co-op Live next year includes the same band lineup since 1992, with Joe Elliot, Rick Allen, Phil Collen, Rick Savage and Vivian Campbell playing out on the night.
The Rock Brigade will always make sure to remember Steve Clark, founding member and adorned- ‘Riffmaster’, and although the guitarist won’t be playing this innovative live music venue, fans will still give it their all for the current ‘Gods of War’.
These Sheffield-formed musicians have sold more than 110 million albums worldwide, so there will be no ‘Foolin’ around when it comes to screaming their lyrics at the top of your lungs next summer.
Def Leppard are coming to Co-op Live in Manchester on Monday 5 July, with tickets going on sale from 10am on Friday 5 September
Bolton man jailed for life after killing ‘vulnerable’ woman and hiding her body in his shed
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed for life after murdering a vulnerable woman and then proceeding to hide her body in a shed at his house in Bolton.
Christopher Barlow killed Mariann Borocz back in December 2024 after randomly meeting her at a shop and inviting her to his house, before killing her and then going on to dump her body in a locked shed in his garden.
55-year-old Mariann, who was originally from Hungary, was reported missing on Sunday 15 December having been last seen alive in the early hours of the previous day.
During the police search and investigation, CCTV showed Barlow following Mariann into a shop near his house and then back out again, and after Barlow was arrested on suspicion of assault on 23 December, officers found the keys to his shed – which is when they, sadly, discovered Mariann’s body.
Barlow was charged with murder, but the 63-year-old first denied this charge, and also denied any contact with Mariann.
The case was then handed over to Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Major Incident Team, led by Detective Chief Inspector Tony Platten.
#JAILED | This is the moment Christopher Barlow was arrested for the murder of Mariann Borocz.
We made extensive efforts to locate Mariann, and our thoughts continue to be with her family.
A three-week trial then began at Manchester Crown Court, and when forensic evidence linked Barlow to Mariann’s body, he then when on to admit during the trial that he had invited her into his house, and found her not breathing in his kitchen about 40 minutes later.
Despite maintaining he did dot murder her, the jury returned its guilty verdict after less than a day of deliberation.
Last week, Barlow was sentenced to life in prison and must serve a minimum term of 20 years behind bars.
Detective Sergeant Fiona Manning described this as a ‘harrowing’ investigation and subsequent trial for Mariann’s family.
“Barlow befriended Mariann and she believed she could trust him,” DS Manning said, “That could not have been further from reality.”
DS Manning then assured that GMP remains ‘steadfast’ in its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of women in Greater Manchester‘s communities, and will continue to work ‘tirelessly’ to uphold justice.
She concluded: “Women should be able to go out freely and without fear that something may happen to them.”
Emily Sergeant -
9th August 2022 
