DUBLIN Airport has defended its car park security following claims of "rampant" thefts from vehicles.
A caller to RTÉ Radio One's Liveline programme yesterday told how his work van had been targeted twice in recent weeks.
The man said up to €4,000 (£3,587) of tools were stolen from the van at one of the airport's long-stay car parks.
Thieves also unsuccessfully attempted to break into the van on a second occasion earlier this week.
He said thieves "take a ticket and they go down and drive round and they try and get into vans" before fleeing by driving "straight through the barrier".
Asked if it was a frequent occurrence, the caller told presenter Joe Duffy that an Airport Police officer "said it's rampant".
The caller questioned whether the car parks at Dublin Airport have enough CCTV cameras and security.
A Dublin Airport spokeswoman said: "Reports of thefts are extremely rare when compared with the overall numbers using our car parks.
"We have had some success working with our own Airport Police and gardaí in deterring people engaging in this type of activity."
The spokeswoman said Dublin Airport has "visible and invisible security measures" including Airport Police vehicle patrols, dog unit patrols and CCTV systems.
She added that "like all car parks, passengers park at their own risk".
Dublin Airport has three long-term car parks with 18,600 spaces available for its two terminals.
