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Man arrested for Gatwick car park arson
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
A 67-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire destroyed 140 vehicles at a Gatwick car park. Holidaymakers returning to find their cars burned face travel disruption.
Background
The fire broke out at Caldyne Business Park near Crawley, about eight miles from Gatwick Airport, just after 9pm on Saturday. It destroyed around 140 vehicles parked by holidaymakers, damaged nearby businesses, and caused power cuts to over 2,000 homes. The site is a third-party parking facility used by people flying from Gatwick.
How it unfolded
- Aug 22, 2026 21:00Fire erupted at Caldyne Business Park, destroying about 140 vehicles and causing power cuts to over 2,000 homes.
- Aug 23, 2026A 67-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson and later bailed pending further enquiries.
- Aug 24, 2026Police and fire service issued warnings to holidaymakers who may have left vehicles at the site, advising them to contact their parking operator.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Sussex Police said a 67-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson and has been bailed pending further enquiries.
- Public
- The Bears banger racing team said in a fundraiser that they had lost everything in the fire.
Still unverified
The exact cause of the fire has not been confirmed; the arrest is on suspicion of arson and investigations are ongoing.