Gatwick Parking Fire: Second Man Arrested As Drivers Await News

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A second man has been arrested following a major fire which destroyed around 140 vehicles at a car park used by passengers travelling from Gatwick Airport.

Sussex Police said a 29-year-old man was arrested on Monday and has since been released on bail.

He joins a 67-year-old man who was arrested on Saturday evening, when the fire broke out at Caldyne Business Park on Wallage Lane in Rowfant.

The blaze started shortly after 21:00, with huge flames and plumes of smoke seen above rows of parked vehicles.

Passengers who left their cars with Sapphire Parking, which operates a third-party parking service at the site, are now facing uncertainty over whether their vehicles survived the fire.

Some customers have returned to find their cars badly damaged, while others are still waiting for confirmation about the condition of their vehicles.

One customer, Natalie Odell from Liss in Hampshire, said communication from Sapphire had been "almost zero" after she returned from Crete and discovered what had happened.

Nick Brooks, from Wembley, is also waiting to find out whether his Ford Focus ST was affected while he was away in Sharm El-Sheikh.

He described the situation as "frustrating and very stressful", saying he had owned the car for 12 years.

Other customers have reported spending hundreds of pounds travelling to and from Gatwick because they do not have access to their vehicles. Some say they have been told Sapphire will reimburse those costs.

Sapphire Parking said the fire had been a "nightmare for everyone" and that 600 bookings had been cancelled as a result.

Gatwick Airport does not own the site. A spokesperson said it understood how concerning and distressing the situation would be for passengers.

No casualties were reported in the fire.

Sussex Police are continuing to appeal for information as their investigation into the blaze continues.