6 months ago
.png)
A grandmother whose £20,000 car was damaged in the Luton Airport car park fire says her insurance company told her she 'at fault' and offered her a £7,000 payout.
Cath Glaze has been left without a car to pick up her grandchildren or get to work after blaze at the multi-storey car park on October 10.
Her insurance firm only offered her £7,000 in compensation - a staggering £13,000 less than what she paid for her car seven years ago - because they found her 'at fault', Cath told the Mirror. She is also set to lose her no claims bonus.
The grandmother, who was on holiday in Portugal at the time of the fire, still doesn't know whether her car is salvageable.
She contacted her insurance company, who allegedly wouldn't supply her with a courtesy car as they considered her car 'written off'.
Has YOUR car been damaged in the fire at the Luton Airport car park? Please email [email protected].
Cath Glaze (pictured) has been left without a car to pick up her grandchildren or get to work after blaze at the multi-storey car park on October 10
The grandmother, who was on holiday in Portugal at the time of the fire (pictured), still doesn't know whether her car is salvageable
She isn't the only holidaymaker battling to get money back for their cars following the devastating fire in the £20million car park
With a final settlement offer of £7,000 Cath wouldn't be able to purchase a comparable vehicle, she said, let alone replace the personal items in her car.
She said the experience was 'very traumatic and upsetting' and without her car, doing day-to-day activities like shopping or helping with her grandchildren has been 'very difficult'.
Cath said: 'We bought our car new, have had it serviced regularly, and weren't planning to change it for the foreseeable future, as it's been a very reliable car and has low mileage. We now don't have access to a vehicle.'
She isn't the only holidaymaker battling to get money back following the devastating fire in the £20million car park.
Sarah Scott was told her vehicle was covered in rubble after the car park collapsed.
To make matters worse, the motor was 'priceless' to her, since she got it from her late father.
Sarah told MailOnline: 'The car was the only one I felt really connected to. We'd been on holidays more than with any other car we've owned.
'We went to France with it, just a couple of months ago, the first ever trip in my own car abroad. It's the only car I've remembered the registration number to.
'The fact that we had a car that my dad loved so much and liked to come out in, especially being the last car he went in, means it holds precious memories.
'My mum shunned a funeral car for my dad's funeral, as she wanted to go in the car that he loved.'
Along with two dash-cams and a mini fridge, Sarah and her husband Darren also lost items with great sentimental value in the blaze.
'There were little mementoes too, from our holidays. We assumed they'd be safe,' Sarah said.
Another devastated holidaymaker is Samantha Woodward, who has been left without a car, said she had parked her 'little baby' in one of the car park's disabled spots on October 6.
She went on holiday to Portugal, where she was notified about the blaze.
In videos showing the torched remains of other cars, Samantha spotted her yellow Nissan, which seems to be completely intact.
Another devastated holidaymaker is Samantha Woodward (pictured), who has been left without a car, said she had parked her 'little baby' in one of the car park's disabled spots on October 6
In videos showing the torched remains of other cars, Samantha spotted her yellow Nissan (pictured here), which seems to be completely intact
This comes as Bedfordshire Police said they detained a man in his 30s as a precautionary measure in connection with the massive fire that caused the car park to collapse (pictured)
She said she bought her car for £9,500 and her insurance offered her £8,500, minus the £300 excess, but she would also lose her no claims bonus and would see her premium increase.
Samantha stressed that she needed her car back soon, since her arthritis makes moving difficult for her.
This comes as Bedfordshire Police said they detained a man in his 30s as a precautionary measure in connection with the massive fire that caused the car park to collapse.
However, investigations so far suggest the blaze started accidentally due to a vehicle fault.
A force spokesman said: 'Police arrested a man in his 30s on suspicion of criminal damage in connection to their investigation into a significant fire in a car park at London Luton Airport.
'We are carrying out a thorough and diligent investigation into all potential lines of inquiry, as should be expected after such a major event.
'The man has been released on bail while our inquiries continue.'
It is understood the man had been arrested several days after the fire and officers believe the blaze started when a diesel car, possibly a Range Rover, suffered an electrical fault or leaking fuel line.
The fire in the airport's multi-storey Terminal Car Park 2 on October 10 was declared a major incident and more than 100 firefighters were deployed to bring the blaze under control.
The flames spread across multiple floors of the car park and caused a partial collapse of the structure.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service previously said as many as 1,500 cars were inside when the blaze broke out and it is unlikely any will be salvageable.
The airport said it had provided the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) with the registration details of 1,405 vehicles and, along with its parking provider APCOA, it had responded to almost 16,500 customer queries since the fire.
The airport said it had provided the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) with the registration details of 1,405 vehicles and, along with its parking provider APCOA, it had responded to almost 16,500 customer queries since the fire
The huge blaze saw up to 1,500 motors go up in flames, which were left unsalvageable
Regarding the current condition of the car park, a London Luton Airport spokesman said: 'Having worked with our engineers, experts and insurers, we are getting closer every day to making a final decision on what is going to happen to the car park and the vehicles contained within it.
'Working with our structural engineers, we now plan to remove around 100 cars from the top deck of the car park for the purposes of stabilising the structure.
'Once removed, these cars will be stored in a safe compound and we will contact customers and work with insurers to inform them of the process of recovery for those cars. Only then will it be possible to assess the condition of those cars.
'For all other vehicles in the car park, the assessment remains largely unchanged, which is that no cars can currently be accessed or removed from the car park.
'The structure remains fundamentally unsafe and the adverse weather over the last few days hasn't helped.'
