A London motorist who discovered her car was in a different parking spot when she returned from a shopping trip rang her local council in to ask if the car park was haunted.
The query was just one of a number of bizarre phone calls made by members of the public to Sutton Council in south London. Other questions included “how long can I safely store ginger powder for?” and “can I put a dead fox in my recycling bin?”
The ghostly goings-on came to light when the woman called the council’s environmental contact centre to say her car had moved “of its own accord”.
She asked if the car park, in Brighton Road, Sutton, was haunted and wondered if a ghost had been responsible.
The truth, however, was rather less supernatural. Council officials reviewed CCTV footage and found the car had gently rolled into a different parking bay after the driver had failed to apply her handbrake properly.
Cllr Simon Wales, Sutton’s Executive Member for Communities, Transport and Voluntary Sector, said: “Our call centre was last year voted the best in London and we can tackle most queries but I must admit there are some that do raise eyebrows.”
Other ‘unusual’ calls included:
Do you know where I could get an old bath that I could fill with custard for a fundraising event?
Can I park a double decker bus in my front garden?
What time is Buckingham Palace open today?
My TV is broken
And, should I get broadband?
The council is encouraging people to save time and money by using its internet services.
Residents in the London Borough of Sutton (www.sutton.gov.uk) can go online to access dozens of services, including anything from reporting noise nuisance or graffiti to paying a council tax bill, and from booking a football pitch to registering an interest in adoption and fostering.
