Cars 'smashed' near major UK airport as residents hit back at parking chaos

Cars parked near a major UK airport have been smashed up as tension boils over in a huge UK city. Two cars suffered damage last week with windows "smashed" and tyres punctured on a blue Volvo. Local residents told reporters at the scene that the cars had been sitting on the road for several days, with the damage understood to have been carried out on Saturday.

Residents believe that the vehicles belong to holidaymakers who stopped their cars on residential streets to avoid paying parking fees at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. One resident said people were dropping off cars on streets "all the time" with drop-offs at "all hours of the day". They even suggested that some holidaymakers were infringing on local residents, with some vehicles even blocking access to private property.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, the local resident said: "We've had people park in front of our driveway in the past, so you can't get out. Now we tend to park the car on the road instead.

"Sometimes they say, 'we'll only be 20 minutes' but that's still a problem. My wife's just gone to pick up my son from school because he's not well. We would have been stuck if a car had been parked there.

"People have been talking [about the smashed windows] on the local Facebook group. Some have said, 'you've got to respect other people's property'. But where's the respect for my property when they park in front of it?"

Another local resident added: "The blue car has been there for weeks and I saw the damage on Saturday. I don't agree with people using the road for parking but I don't agree with that either. It's not just this road either - there's damage to cars in other parts too."

Liverpool John Lennon Airport offers a range of parking options including Long Stay and Short Stay choices for families dropping off loved ones. Their Long Stay fees vary dramatically but can cost £105 for three days or up to £125 for 7 days.

Express Parking is among the cheapest options, with road users charged £25 for an hour or £50 for a 24-hour visit. Those just dropping off their family or friends can pay just £10 for up to 20 minutes or £6 for 10 minutes.

The Drop Off 2 car park is just a seven-minute walk from the terminal, but is free for the first 20 minutes. Local residents explained that they have raised issues over parking with Liverpool City Council and the airport but nothing has yet been done to solve the issue.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport told the Daily Express they had no control over the roads surrounding the airport and shared the frustration of local residents on this issue.

The airport explained they were aware of issues surrounding passengers being picked up and dropped off outside their homes which is causing a disturbance for residents.

An airport spokesperson commented: "We are looking at ways to try to deter passengers from being dropped off and picked up on roads close to the airport which is also causing disruption and is a nuisance for local residents at all hours of the day and night."

A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: "We understand the frustrations that residents have around people choosing to park on the road for extended periods of time while using the airport and are exploring solutions to these. Plans are in place to gauge residents' views before any potential solutions are put in place.

"Currently, there are waiting restrictions which prohibit parking along a number of roads in the area, which our teams regularly enforce. Similar enforcement takes place around taxis parking in the area.

"However, if there are no waiting restrictions in place and vehicles are parked without causing an obstruction, this is not classed as an offence."