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Think your car is safe in the hands of private parking firms? Drivers travelling from Gatwick who entrust their cars to firms close to the airport might want to check the credentials of the company before handing over their keys.

Gatwick Airport parking firm Gold Parking is one firm which has revealed to be a 'rogue trader' by BBC1 programme Watchdog.

The parking company was caught leaving holidaymakers' cars in random locations such as side streets and even town centres when they assumed they were being parked in a secure car park.

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A parking firm taking Gatwick Airport passengers' cars to 'secure parking' allegedly left them on side streets (File pic)

One customer told the TV show that her car had an extra 1,500 miles on the clock when she returned

The internet site for Gold Parking describes the company as 'the most affordable and convenient Meet and Greet Parking Company at Gatwick Airport' and claims, 'All our compounds are 24/7 manned'.

One customer told the TV show that her car had an extra 1,500 miles on the clock when she returned, while another reported that their Mercedes had been stolen.

The show's presenter Matt Allwright and his team secretly checked to see whether the firm had a secure car park by providing three fake customers who handed over cars to Gold Parking.

The customers were charged £90 for one week and £150 for two weeks to have their vehicle taken to the company's 'secure car park', but on each occasion the cars were left out in the open in Crawley, in communal public carparks, outside shops and in a residential side street.

Gatwick Airport has an approved list of parking firms and Gold Parking is not one of them

Crawley residents say they often see unfamiliar vehicles left in the open for days on end.

The BBC show, which aired last Wednesday, featured Dipesh Toor, who left his £45,000 Mercedes with Gold Parking and returned to find it had been stolen.

The company told Watchdog it did have access to a secure compound which it shared with other companies. It claimed Mr Toor's Mercedes was stolen from within this car park.

Brenda Jones left her Audi A7 with Gold Parking while on honeymoon in Cuba, and when she returned found the car was dirty, had a ripped tyre and an extra 1,500 miles on the clock.

The couple subsequently received a parking fine in the post, stating the vehicle had been parked in a residents' parking space without a permit and two weeks later another fine arrived for a pay and display space.

TravelMail was unable to contact Gold Parking, which has subsequently taken down its website.

Gatwick Airport has a list of approved 'meet and great operators' for off-airport parking who passengers are advised to use. Gold Parking is not one of them.