Second arrest after fire destroys Gatwick passengers' cars

A second man has been arrested after a fire destroyed about 140 vehicles at a car park used by passengers travelling from Gatwick Airport.

A 29-year-old man was arrested on Monday, and has been released on bail alongside a 67-year-old man who was held on Saturday evening, when the fire took place, Sussex Police said.

Meanwhile, Gatwick passengers who parked their car with a third party company that uses the site have criticised a lack of communication, with some yet to find out if their vehicle is safe, or has been destroyed.

Some customers who have returned to their carssay their vehicles have been "burnt to a shell" as a result of the fire.

The blaze broke out at Caldyne Business Park in Wallage Lane, Rowfant shortly after 21:00 BST on Saturday, and images from the site showed huge flames and massive plumes of smoke above rows of stationary cars.

Images from recent days show lines of fire-damaged cars, though some of the vehicles parked with Sapphire Parking, which runs the third party Gatwick parking site, are unaffected.

A spokesperson for Sapphire said on Monday that the fire was "a nightmare for everyone", and that it had been forced to cancel 600 bookings as a result.

No casualties were reported due to the fire, and a spokesperson for Gatwick Airport, which does not own the site, said it "understands how concerning and distressing this will be" for passengers.

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