Council offices were cordoned off after Hallowe'en pranksters sparked an anthrax scare.

The offices of Wealden District Council in Pine Grove, Crowborough, fell victim to trick-or-treaters who covered the front of the building in flour.

The caretaker who found the white powder the next morning feared it might be anthrax spores and called the police.

The building was sealed off and workers stopped from entering until tests revealed the powder to be flour.

A council spokesman said: "The caretaker arrived shortly before 8am and found the floor and windows covered in a white substance. He cordoned off the building and alerted police who attended and confirmed it was flour.

"In the current climate we could not afford to be complacent so took appropriate action.

"We were not the only ones affected as several shops were also targeted. It appears it was just high jinks by Hallowe'en revellers."

In St Leonards a member of the public called firefighters after spotting a trail of white powder on the pavement last night.

The fire brigade was called to Bexhill Road, St Leonards, outside the Watling Tyre Service depot.

The crew followed the trail to a split bag of flour in a nearby drain.

A brigade spokesman said it was the first anthrax scare the station had attended.