A VALET parking company is on a collision course with Southend Airport chiefs after its staff were photographed allowing dozens of parked vehicles to escape without paying.

Eagle-eyed witnesses snapped employees of Maple Manor, which offers a pick-up-and-drop-off service at the airport, hold open a barrier so a stream of vans and cars could drive out of the short-stay car park.

The photos were taken just a week after an Echo investigation revealed fellow parking firm Southend Airport Car Park (SACP) had been charging customers for a valet service, but leaving their cars in free spaces at the airport.

Alastair Welch, the airport’s managing director, said he was “taking steps” to deal with the incident and accused Maple Manor of deliberately damaging airport property.

He said: “We were saddened to see the images of an external organisation damaging our equipment and allowing 19 vehicles to exit our short-stay car park, many of them without payment.

“We are understandably taking steps to address abuses such as this one uncovered by the Echo.”

Maple Manor and SACP are the two major companies offering alternative parking for Southend Airport passengers.

Both firms pick up and drop off customers’ cars at the airport and store them at nearby car parks while their owners are away.

However, because both companies meet their customers in the airport’s short-stay car park, they often incur small charges for overstaying the free five-minute period allowed for drop-offs.

Witnesses believed Maple Manor staff may have tried to circumvent the charges by physically holding open the car park barrier so their vehicle, along with many others, could escape without paying.

The incident, which has just come to light, took place at about 10pm on Sunday, March 3.

However, Steve Kiss, the company’s managing director, claimed his employees had actually intervened because the barrier would not open at all.

He said his firm kept meticulous records of its parking tickets and still had copies of those it had paid in full on March 3.

Mr Kiss said: “Our driver had made several attempts to contact airport staff to fix the faulty barrier, all to no avail.

“People in the car park were becoming very agitated and it was quite late at night.

“Of course, I do not condone his actions in holding open the barrier and he has been disciplined.

“However, I would not dismiss him as I can understand why he acted in the way he did on this occasion.”