Motorists faced a nasty shock and a hefty telephone bill from an adult phone line if they queried a fake parking sign which has appeared in a Penryn public car park.

The sign seems to have appeared as residents tried to stake a claim on part of the free car park on Permarin Road, using the authority of the fictional Penryn Car Parking Association.

Setting aside the fact you can't just reserve yourself a parking space in a public car park, Penryn Town Council decided to alert the public after town clerk Michelle Davey discovered the 0900 number listed on the sign redirects callers to a high-rate adult hotline.

Miss Davey told the Packet: "I didn't believe it when I Googled the number.

"The sign has been there for a little while. It's been in the back of my mind to investigate this so called Penryn Car Parking Association, which I can find no record of, and which I didn't expect to."

The town council is currently working on getting the sign removed, but since there is a set process to follow they are asking people to be aware and not call the number.

The council has not contacted the residents of "number 21", to whom the sign purportedly belongs, as the car park is currently the responsibility of Cornwall Council.

Ordinarily the area of car park covered by the sign would not be available for parking anyway, as cars should only be left in marked bays, but at the moment regulations are not being enforced at the site.

Miss Davey added: "The town council has asked for a transfer of the car park to the town as part of its devolution package, and they are still waiting for a response.

"The council don't want to go to the expense of putting a parking order in place until we know what car parks we have got."