iSToCk.Com / mAxiAN News Holidaymakers stranded after car parking firm goes bust Travellers were left stranded at Gatwick Airport after the meet-andgreet parking firm they used went bust. West Sussex Trading Standards officers are trying to locate the director of Gatwick First Parking which is not an official Gatwick parking supplier after passengers returned to the UK to find the company had stopped trading. A website for the firm, which claimed to keep vehicles in CCTV-covered secure compounds, has been suspended. It emerged that customers cars were being parked at various unsecured locations, including supermarket car parks and lay-bys. Carkeys were discovered at a Surrey office. Trading standards and Sussex Police say they have now found all the vehicles and have been reuniting them with their owners. West Sussex Trading Standards team manager Richard Sargeant said: This has been a difficult and stressful time for those Gatwick passengers involved. We are still trying to locate the director of Gatwick First Parking to assist our enquiries. Fortunately, we have been able to contact some vehicle owners who are still away on holiday, to warn them and give them advice for when they return. Chris Banford, senior commercial operations manager at Gatwick Airport, said: We sympathise with any of our passengers who put their trust in Gatwick First Parking and who have been affected by its abrupt collapse, and the lack of information provided in the aftermath. This company had absolutely no affiliation to Gatwick Airport and we strongly recommend that passengers avoid non-approved firms going forward. By using official, on-airport parking or companies in our Approved Operators Scheme passengers will eliminate the risk of experiencing a distressing incident such as this in the future. Alert over fidget spinner danger offensive weapon in the UK were found for sale on eBay. In tests carried out using a tomato and pork skin, it was found that these spinners could damage eyes and puncture skin. The auction website said the items would be removed from sale. The Watchdog team bought three fidget spinners marketed as toys for children from eBay. All three were able to puncture the tomato, while two out of three could puncture the pork skin. BBC Watchdog also bought five fidget spinners from local shops. A toy-safety expert concluded that none of them should have been on sale as they did not pass essential toy-safety tests. iSToCk.Com / LorENzopAToiA Fidget spinners that can puncture skin are on sale in the UK, according to a BBC Watchdog investigation. The spinners originally designed to help children with conditions such as autism deal with stress have become a playground craze. However, some in the shape of a shuriken an Damage charges top list as EU car hire complaints rocket Complaints and enquiries about car hire in the EU have increased byalmost 30 per cent in a year, according to the UK European Consumer Centre. From July 2016 to June 2017, there were 629 complaints and enquiries, compared with 486 the year before (July 2015 to June 2016) an increase of 29 per cent. In the period July 2014 to June 2015, there were 498 complaints and enquiries. The top three causes of complaint from UK consumers hiring cars in the EU are: Post-hire damage charges, especially after unsupervised drop-offs Disputes about insurance unrequested, overpriced or excess waiver Fuel policies return the car empty, but pay for a full tank regardless of how much is used The EU countries most frequently complained about by UK consumers include Spain, Italy, Iceland and Malta. Andy Allen, UK European Consumer Centre director, said: Our general advice to consumers hiring cars abroad is, where possible, to return the car to someone in the office, and get them to check the car and sign it off as in good condition. If you have to leave the car, take some photos showing that it was returned in good condition. There is no specific EU legislation relating to car hire, but as a consumer shopping in the EU UK citizens have certain rights. The basic consumer principles include: buy what you want where you want; if it doesnt work, send it back; contracts should be fair to consumers; you should not be misled; and there should be effective redress for cross-border disputes. Cowboy builder ordered to pay compensation to victim A builder who took more than 12,000 in payments for unnecessary and unfinished construction work was ordered to pay 17,106 at Birmingham Magistrates Court last month. John Casey, of Edgbaston, admitted three offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Birmingham Trading Standards brought the case after a consumer who believed their house had been damaged during bad weather was approached by Casey. He said he was doing building work in the area and noted there was a problem with the propertys guttering. After discussions, a series of works was agreed for a price of 8,000 to 10,000. But, over a two-and-a-half week period, the homeowner wrote three cheques totalling 12,000. A survey of the works carried out revealed the guttering and window repair to be defective, while the installation of eaves trays in the property were defective, incomplete and unnecessary. The tiling work on the laundry room was not carried out, and evidence of damp that Casey claimed was present was not found. He was fined 900, and ordered to pay 1,818 in costs and 14,388 in compensation.