Returning holidaymakers who have left their vehicles in the long-term parking area at Stansted Airport could be in for a rude awakening.

Drivers returning to the airport may wish they had remained on holiday when the discover that theirs may be one of 24 cars incinerated in a recent fire which swept through the long stay bay at the London transport hub.

A joint Police and Fire Service investigation has been launched to try and determine the exact cause of the blaze which saw the two dozen vehicles destroyed and an untold number of the travelling public affected.

Initial reports have suggested that an electrical fault in one of the parked cars was the likely cause of the fire which occurred on Monday and resulted in large sections of the area being cordoned off as fire fighters fought to contain the blaze. High winds, gusting up to 80kph (50mph) fanned the spread of flames, with an estimated £250,000 damage caused to car park Zone C. It took a team of 25 firemen, including the fire service team at the airport, over an hour to control the blaze.

To compound the misery for the car owners involved, it is thought that insurance claims may be difficult to establish as identifying the car which caused the disaster will be near impossible. While authorities at Stansted have offered free transport home for those affected or a discount on car hire, the reality is that there will be serious finger pointing and resentment from those who have lost their vehicles.