Airport worker 'borrowed' a tourist's vehicle to go on a shopping spree in Bilbao

A parking attendant at Bilbao Airport faces charges after being caught using a customer’s car to go shopping with a friend.

The employee of a third-party valet service was intercepted by Local Police at a checkpoint in Leioa, several miles from the airport, last Saturday. Officers became suspicious when the driver of the French-registered Peugeot Rifter attempted to evade the stop.

The parking attendant was stopped at a checkpoint by Local Police. He had apparently taken the Peugeot Rifter, with French number plates, to go shopping with a friend at a shopping centre. He faces charges of unauthorised use of a motor vehicle.

The customer had left her car with an external company at the airport about three weeks ago to go on holiday. The woman paid for the service for a whole month. She is scheduled to return to Bilbao next week.

The car should have been held in a secure parking lot.

The parking attendant was stopped at a police checkpoint on Saturday afternoon as he was heading to a supermarket. He apparently tried to evade the checkpoint and was behaving strangely, which aroused suspicion. The employee claimed he had "borrowed" the vehicle and eventually confessed that he worked for the private parking company.

The police in Leioa contacted the company. What remains unknown is whether this employee had used the van on other occasions or if indeed he had used other vehicles during his two years with the company. The car was impounded at the police station until its owner's return.

The employee facing charges of unauthorised use of a vehicle, punishable by community service of up to 12 months or a fine.