SOUTHEND Airport has controversially cut its free drop off time - from 15 minutes to just five.

This has caused a stir among residents who may now be reluctant to enter the airport in case they get stung with the £4.50 for going over their time.

Cliff Short, 62, a cab driver from Leigh, said: “We used to be able to go into the short stay car park and an ANPR camera would log the time in and out.

“Now they cut it to five minutes it’s just not long enough.

“We don’t want to go in there. You might get stuck behind a few cars paying with a card and then you are going to get charged.

“They’ve stopped people parking on the road outside the airport because of the terrorist threat and that’s fine but if we get given a job at the airport now we try and pick up on the roundabout.

“Five minutes is just not long enough. The airport has got a good reputation at the moment, but people won’t bother to use this if they are going to get charged.”

Joseph Parkin, 45, of Edith Road, Southend, who uses the airport, added: “Five minutes?

“That seems a bit ridiculous, there won’t even be time for a hug!”

Southend Airport’s nearest rival Stansted has no free parking and charges visitors £3.50 for up to ten minutes and £1 a minute.

The airport handled more than one million passengers last year and has ambitions to double that level in 2018. The reduced free parking is likely to become a growing revenue stream for the airport if their ambitions are successful.

A spokeswoman for Southend Airport said: “We have recently made some changes in our Short Stay Car Park to try and reduce congestion in this area so we are able to maintain the free drop off facility we offer passengers.

“London Southend Airport is one of the only London airports to still provide a totally free drop off/pick up option in its Short Stay Car Park, which is just a few paces from the terminal.

“Our aim is that during busy periods all airport and rail passengers can benefit from the use of the Short Stay car park to quickly and conveniently drop off passengers as close to the terminal and rail station as possible.

“In order to support this we have moved taxis and most car rental out of the Short Stay car park and have reduced the free parking period.

“We have also introduced free motor cycle parking in Long Stay 3.

“For longer stays our Long stay parking is also just a couple of minutes’ walk from the terminal and offers great value, especially when pre-booked.”