A MINI whirlwind caused by a plane sent tiles crashing onto a car, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage, yet Heathrow has refused to pick up the bill.

It is not uncommon for low-flying aircraft near the airport to create so-called ‘vortexes’, which can rip tiles from the roofs of those living under the flightpath.

Individual airlines are legally responsible for the damage but, such is the difficulty in identifying the guilty carrier, the airport’s owner voluntarily covers the cost of repairs.

However, Heathrow has always refused to meet the cost of any incidental damage to people’s vehicles or gardens caused by the falling tiles.

Ajit Saini’s BMW X5 was hit by half a dozen tiles dislodged from his neighbour’s roof on April 10. The tiles broke the front windscreen and damaged the wing mirrors, bumper and bonnet of the car, parked outside his house in Great West Road Hounslow.

The vehicle has been repaired but the 45-year-old, who works at the airport, is angry Heathrow will not cough up, leaving him to cover the £450 excess on his insurance policy.

"I don’t understand why Heathrow will cover the cost of repairing the roof but not the damage done by the tiles themselves," he said. "If someone had been walking past and one of the tiles had fallen on their head what would happen?"

Mr Saini added that the damage was done in the early hours, though he only discovered it much later that morning, and he has no idea which airline was responsible.

A spokeswoman for Heathrow said: “Legal liability for vortex damage rests with the airlines. However, as part of our commitment to the local community, we voluntarily offer a scheme to pay for vortex damage to buildings.

“Under this scheme, we have already organised and paid for damage to the house in question, as well as arranging permanent vortex protection.”