Sutton Council has been accused of a grave faux pas after pursuing a long-deceased scrap metal yard owner over a parking fine incurred three months ago.

Officers should not have been surprised that David Brian Nebbett proved particularly unresponsive - he has been dead for about 10 years.

When his son Stuart, 41, finally complained about the distress caused by the "administrative error" he was refused an apology.

Instead, the parking enforcement department insisted he needed to provide a copy of his dad's death certificate before it would consider dropping the £80 penalty.

Mr Nebbett, the new managing director of B Nebbett & Son scrap metal yard, was stunned by the repeated insensitivity shown.

He said: "What were they going to do? Issue a summons, then hold a seance so my dead father would appear in court?"

This week the council acknowledged the mistake and said it was wrongly informed the offending vehicle had fallen into the hands of a firm owned by David Nebbett. The demand for a death certificate has since been withdrawn.

A council spokeswoman apologised for any misery caused as it "followed normal procedures" to establish who owned the G-reg Ford Escort parked illegally in Wigmore Road, Carshalton.

She said: "We were informed by the DVLA that the previous owner had signed a declaration that the vehicle had been sold on April 6, 2007, to a motor business called D Nebbett.

"D Nebbett had signed the declaration of change of ownership. Once again we apologise to Mr Nebbett junior for any distress."