A driver who thought a trouble-making ghoul had moved her parked car called a council to ask if the parking lot was haunted.

The woman reported ghostly-goings on in the car park in Brighton Road, Sutton, after she returned from a shopping trip and found her car had moved “of its own accord”.

But a quick check of CCTV footage found the woman had failed to apply her handbrake properly and the car had gently rolled into a different bay.

The query was just one of a number of bizarre phone calls made by members of the public to Sutton Council’s environmental contact centre.

Other questions included “how long can I safely store ginger powder for?” and “can I put a dead fox in my recycling bin?”

Councillor 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.”

A council spokesman said contact centre staff had also fielded other unusual calls such as those enquiring about where to could get an old bath to fill with custard for a fundraising event and whether a double decker bus could be parked in a front garden.

Other queries included opening times for Buckingham Palace and whether a resident should get broadband.

The spokesman said residents in Sutton 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.

Visit Sutton’s website at www.sutton.gov.uk