Holidaymaker leaves car on family’s driveway for FIVE DAYS after space was ‘sold by fraudsters’

An infuriated family who live near Birmingham Airport have claimed that they are completely powerless to move a mystery car left on their driveway by a holidaymaker who bought the space from fraudsters because it is a ‘civil matter, not a criminal one’. 

Mother-of-two Debbie Flynn and her partner Leon have been trying to move the silver Vauxhall Mokka away from her garage in Garretts Green for the past five days, but officers from West Midlands Police said they can’t move it for her.

Officers also warned her that if she tries to move the car, she would be committing a criminal offence by breaking into the vehicle. 

Miss Flynn is convinced that her own driveway has been sold to a holidaymaker through a parking app by fraudsters who have taken advantage of the space’s proximity to Birmingham Airport, which has gotten much busier since Covid restrictions were lifted.  

‘I am fuming because there is no law to stop anyone parking on your drive,’ the mother-of-two raged.

‘It’s like the car just dropped out of the sky. It’s a complete mystery. We don’t understand how or why this has happened but as the owner hasn’t returned all week, we suspect it’s due to someone selling a space on my drive close to the airport. 

‘We went to bed about 10.30pm on Tuesday night [April 12] and when my partner woke the next morning, it was parked on our drive,’ Ms Flynn added.

‘The cheeky gits opened my gate and parked it and shut the gates after leaving it on the grass. The police officer who came to see us said he had never seen anything like this in all his years.’ 

She added: ‘It’s totally legal so the police can’t help. Yet if we try and move it and damage it, then we would have committed a criminal offence.

‘The kids can’t even play outside on the drive now, in case they kick a ball or something and accidentally damage it.’

Because a car driveway is part of a property, someone parking on your drive technically counts as trespass, which is a civil offence and not criminal, explained John Charnock, of Stress Free Car Rental.

Ms Flynn called West Midlands Police, who confirmed that the Vauxhall was not stolen, but added that they are powerless to move it as it’s a civil matter rather than a than criminal one. As the house is within five miles of Birmingham Airport (pictured), Debbie believes her drive has been sold to a holidaymaker through a parking app by fraudsters

If a car has up-to-date MOT, tax, insurance and is not in a position where it could cause danger to anyone around, the council is also powerless to move it, he added.

Miss Flynn has put out an appeal on Facebook but no-one has come forward. 

She has chained up the tyre so if and when the driver returns, they will have to knock on her door and explain why they parked there.

‘Police said there are parking apps used by scammers who advertise unsuspecting people’s drives as parking spaces and charge the car owners a fee,’ she said.

‘I want answers – when, how, why and who did you pay? We just have to sit and wait for the owners to return. It’s an absolute joke.

‘I’m furious and disgusted that any Tom, Dick and Harry can park on your drive and you can’t do a thing about it.’

Do YOU know the driver? Email lizzie.may@mailonline.co.uk.