A VALET parking company which charged motorists to use free spaces at Southend Airport has promised to refund them.

Southend Airport Car Park (SACP) took advantage of the airport’s offer of free long-stay parking by block-booking spaces and leaving customers’ cars in them.

Unwitting motorists were then charged up to £20 a day.

After the Echo exposed the scam, Lorraine Larman, the company’s financial director, said she was willing to compensate the airport for exploiting its scheme.

Now she has also vowed to write to any customers whose cars were left at the airport and offer them refunds.

Ms Larman said: “We have already approached all our booking agencies offering refunds to owners of any of the twelve vehicles that had paid parking fees on the dates previously mentioned and any monies would be refunded on request from the agents.

“Bookings made via our booking agents always remain their customers and we are not given their personal information, so I have requested all our booking agents to contact their customers in question to offer full refunds.”