Ghostly apparitions are not a concern for the council in Clacton as it prepares to build a new car park in place of a supposedly haunted old office.

Fears of vengeful spirits lurking at Westleigh House, in Carnarvon Road, were stoked when a cleaner from Essex investigated reports of the paranormal in the old council office halls.

Susan Vousden, a 60-year-old from Holland-on-Sea, was allowed an hour to explore the building with two friends to see if they could discover any examples of frightening phenomena.

A Tendring District Council spokesman said Westleigh House contained a number of small rooms, staircases and landings which made it unsuitable for office accommodation.

“This layout certainly made the building hard to maintain and keep warm which is why as part of our Transformation programme we decided to close it, and are looking to use the space more effectively for the whole community as a car park,” the spokesman said.

“The nature of the building means it is not the first time someone has commented that it felt ‘ghostly’ but we are confident that will not cause any issues either now, or as and when the site becomes a car park.”