British discus champion outraged after Heathrow 'meet and greet' parking firm staff joyride her Ford Focus while she's abroad

By JON BRADY, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 11:26, 15 May 2026 | Updated: 11:29, 15 May 2026 A two-time British discus throwing champion was livid to discover a Heathrow parking firm worker had used her car for joyriding while she was away. Kirsty Law, 39, left her Ford Focus ST-Line hatchback with Lions Parking, an independent 'meet and greet' parking firm operating at the airport, as she flew out to the United States last month for a competitive discus camp. But the Inverness native - who represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and 2022 - was alarmed to discover her car was being driven during her trip, and doubly alarmed to find sex aids in the centre console upon her return. Ms Law discovered her car was being driven on May 6, five days before she was due to return to Britain, after she was warned that its tyre pressure was low. Data from the Ford app showed it at a residential address in Sipson Road in nearby West Drayton, on the M25 and near Guildford some 20 miles away over the course of two hours. Recalling the saga, Ms Law told the Daily Mail today: 'I got a notification to say the tyre pressure was low, which I thought was weird. So I opened the app and found that it was moving. 'I phoned them, no answer, then messaged them to ask: what's going on? Why is my car 40 minutes from the airport?' It was only after threatening to call the police that she heard from Lions Parking. The firm offered to refuel her car - which immediately raised suspicions with the 16-times Scottish discus throwing champion.  Two-time British discus throwing champion Kirsty Law (pictured) has described her fury at discovering that a 'meet and greet' parking firm used her car while she was in the USA Alongside the unwanted souvenirs, Ms Law said the car had been left 'filthy' and 'minging' on its unauthorised road trip Ms Law continued: 'He claimed he was driving it to the long stay from the short stay, but there was nobody there to let him in. I didn't believe that for a second. 'Why were they offering me a refund straight away? I hadn't even asked for that, but why were they offering me a refund if you're doing nothing wrong?' Lions Parking, which describes itself online as a 'professional and experienced meet and greet' operator, insisted the car was parked - even as Ms Law watched it continuing to head towards the car park where it should have been in the first place.  Worse was to come when she got home - not least the two hour wait after landing to pick up the car. When she was delivered her Focus, which she described as 'filthy', Ms Law discovered that the errant motorist had left her some unwanted souvenirs from his travels: a pair of Pasante condoms and a sachet of personal lubricant. Alongside the intimate items, he also left a temporary membership slip for the cash-and-carry chain Costco that appeared to bear his name, along with receipts and a small bottle of aftershave. The car's fuel tank was also half-empty. 'My car was absolutely filthy, it was minging, I don't know where they've kept it,' she added. 'I just can't believe this guy felt really comfortable leaving all his crap in my car. I was fuming - literally fuming.' Some of receipts she found are dated April 28, May 1 and May 2 - and she has no idea if her car was being driven then too. She reported the incident to police but was told to contact Citizens Advice as officers were unsure whether a crime had been committed. She believes the firm would not have confessed to any of the errant use of her car if she had not checked on her car via the Ford app. 'I dread to think what might have happened in my car - I just dread to think,' she said. 'I was lucky that I got a notification saying about my tyre pressure, or I would never have known.' Lions Parking - which has a 1.7 out of five rating on reviews site Trustpilot - initially denied responsibility, claiming it did not recognise the name on the Costco receipts. The company, which also trades as Lion Parking, has since promised to refund Ms Law her parking fee, along with a full tank of fuel and the cost of cleaning her car. It claims in its online literature to be a member of the police-backed Park Mark accreditation scheme for safe, top-quality UK facilities. The Daily Mail could not find it on the public Park Mark database. Upon returning to Britain the elite athlete discovered her armrest was full of receipts and a Costco shopping pass - along with sex aides Ms Law tracked her car to a residential address in West Drayton near Heathrow Ms Law was able to track her car as it was driven to just outside Guildford - some 40 minutes' drive, from Heathrow Airport - while she was on the other side of the Atlantic Kirsty Law is a 16-time Scottish discus champion who travelled to the US to attend a competitive discus camp (pictured training at the camp) A man who answered the phone told the Mail: 'We investigated - one of the drivers did that. We terminated him from his job and we are ready to sort the customer [out]. 'We have told her we will refund the money - the full parking costs, petrol costs, the car clean.'  He also insisted that the member of staff had been reported to the police, but refused to provide any details of the crime report.  Asked for further details, we were told the company's director would be in touch. They are yet to return our call.  In a written statement, the company added: 'We sincerely apologise to the customer for the distress and inconvenience caused and recognise that the service provided in this instance did not meet the standards expected from our business.'  As of Friday morning Ms Law - who hopes to compete for Scotland again in this summer's 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow before she retires - is yet to receive her refund. A spokesperson for Heathrow Airport told the Mail that it recommends people use an approved operator listed on the British Parking Association's police-backed Approved Meet and Greet Parking Operator Scheme, known as AM-GO. They added: 'To ensure the safety of their vehicle we recommend passengers book directly with official Heathrow parking for secure facilities overseen by our teams. 'For those who do book elsewhere, we encourage customers to look for British Parking Association approved providers to ensure they’re using a reputable provider.' Ms Law's woes come after a third-party Heathrow car park was flooded during torrential rain in the capital on Wednesday.  Vehicles were left submerged in waters thought to have been caused by a backed up drain.  The airport confirmed that the car park was run by an independent operator, and that the issue had 'since been resolved'. It has advised car owners to contact the parking operator and their insurer. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. 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