SOUTHEND Airport offers passengers the cheapest parking across the region, a new report shows.

An investigation by car insurance specialist, Admiral, compared the prices of on site parking for a two-week break in the summer holidays starting from Saturday, July 22 and ending on Saturday, August 5.

The total cost to park at Southend came out at £92.

It was found to be the cheapest airport within the surrounding areas of London. Its closest contender was Heathrow - with terminals two, three and four charging £146. Terminal five came in £10 more expensive.

Glyn Jones, chief executive of Southend Airport, said: “Our ambition is to make Southend the capital’s next big airport and so we are very pleased with the results of this survey.

“It demonstrates loud and clear we are listening to customers and giving them what they want – reasonably priced, safe parking.”

The price of on site parking at Southend is almost half that charged at Luton Airport. According to the Admiral survey, a two-week summer stay costs £191.

Alistair Hargreaves, Admiral’s head of service said: “Families rarely travel lightly. It’s important to them the places they leave their cars are convenient so they don’t feel exhausted before they’ve taken off.

“It also needs to be a place which is safe and secure so they have complete peace of mind.”

The investigation also looked at the cost of dropping off family members and friends when they are jetting off on their holidays rather than parking for the entire time - and Southend Airport once again topped the results chart.

It is one of only six in the entire country that does not charge people to drop off passengers.

Mr Jones added: “At Southend, all our parking is on site and just a five minute walk from the terminal building, so easy and hassle free – so a very different experience to parking at the other London airports.”

The airport also wins marks for its convenience, being on the train line from London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria.

Earlier this summer, Mr Jones revealed ambitious plans to continue expanding the airport. He hopes to welcome 2.5million passengers through its terminal in 2018 - triple the amount of people who used the airport last year.

New routes have been announced to Malta with Easyjet, and to the Swiss Apls with Powd Air.