A man was furious after he woke up to a stranger's car parked in his driveway.
Zekarias Haile, 51, who lives with his wife and two children near Manchester Airport said he had to wait four days for the driver to return. In the meantime, his access to the garden and bins was restricted.
He believes the rogue vehicle belonged to a holidaymaker flying out from the nearby hub, where parking is at a premium. Zekarias told the Manchester Evening News: "Someone, without my permission, had put the car there and they didn’t care.”
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Zekarias, who is a lecturer in Engineering at Wakefield College, called the police but was told it wasn't a criminal offence so they couldn't help. Officers said that because Zekarias' car wasn't blocked, as he had to park on the road, they weren't able to legally tow the vehicle off the drive.
He said: "I just went out and it was there. Then it was there Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. On Monday morning when we woke up it was gone."
Zekarias added: “I was very angry but I resisted doing anything to the car - just. I definitely didn’t feel all right about it. We couldn’t access our garden and we couldn’t take out our bins."
The family have been living in Wythenshawe for 14 years and are aware that rogue parking companies operate in the area. They suspect that whoever left the Range Rover could have been working for one of these cowboy outfits.
He added: “A lady who was out the front when it was left told me the driver was wearing a high-viz jacket so I do believe it was one of those companies. My worry now is that, because I couldn’t do anything about it, it will happen again.
“There are rogue parking firms who claim they are meet and greet and they just park in our area. It’s a violation of my private property.”
Manchester Airport said: "As well as our own wide range of products, there are many reputable operators that serve Manchester Airport. We categorically do not condone the practices of rogue operators, including those that falsely imply customers’ cars will be parked in secure locations and whose activities blight surrounding communities.
“We have worked closely with council trading standards teams and Greater Manchester Police over many years to combat this, and speak regularly with local councillors and residents about their concerns. As passenger numbers continue to increase in the wake of the pandemic we will maintain our position on this, working closely with Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police."
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