Around 140 vehicles belonging to holidaymakers have been damaged after a fire at a car park serving Gatwick Airport in London.

Police and firefighters scrambled to the scene of the blaze at Caldyne Business Park in Rowfant, West Sussex, just after 9pm on Saturday.

Shocking images from the scene show firefighters battling the flames as thick black smoke poured into the sky.

Some 2,133 businesses and homes were left without power for three minutes at 11.02pm after the suspected arson attack. Nearly 60 properties had no power until 8.05am on Sunday, UK Power Networks said.

A 67-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson and has been bailed pending further inquiries.

A West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service spokeswoman confirmed that “approximately 140 vehicles were destroyed in the fire”.

Worried drivers told The Sun they’ve been unable to contact the parking company and have no idea if their cars are damaged or not.

Sam and George Smith, 51 and 53, said they paid £105 to Sapphire Parking through an app last week.

George told The Sun: “You just can’t get hold of them. Last night I was ringing and ringing and they said there’s been a fire.

A letter sent to customers by Sapphire read: “The police and fire service are currently preventing anyone from entering the compound due to ongoing safety concerns, as they have not yet been able to establish whether any hazardous materials or objects remain within the site.

“We have been advised that we should be able to gain access to the compound on Tuesday, subject to clearance from the relevant authorities.
Once we are permitted to enter, we will immediately assess the vehicles and the extent of the damage.

“At that point, we will be in a position to provide our customers with accurate information regarding their vehicles and the impact of the fire.

We sincerely apologise for the uncertainty and inconvenience this situation is causing.

“Please be assured that we will update you as soon as we have access to the site and have been able to complete our initial assessment.”

The cause of the fire is unclear, but fire services say it involved a workshop, electric and heavy goods vehicles and cylinders.