John Manning scrapped his old Ford Escort in August - but it just keeps turning up again.

This week the motor mysteriously appeared in Vale Avenue, Patcham, Brighton - almost six months after John thought it had been crushed.

He said: "It was enough trouble when I had it because it kept conking out. I thought it had been crushed into a chunk of metal months ago."

Last year Mr Manning answered a magazine ad for his car to be taken away for scrap and 'Pete' duly came along and loaded it on to a flatbed truck.

The red Escort had recently been fitted with a new silencer and exhaust, which Mr Manning presumed would be stripped off before the rest of the rusty bodywork was crushed.

As the driver left, he said: "It will be at Jordan's in Newhaven being scrapped in the morning."

Mr Manning, of Whitelot Way, Southwick, wrote to the DVLA in Swansea telling them he had scrapped the car and thought it would be the last time he heard about it.

But it wasn't. Five months later, he received a letter from the DVLA threatening him with a fine of up to £1,000 after the car was spotted parked in Tisbury Road, Hove.

A day later the city council spotted the Escort - which appeared to have been abandoned - outside Hove Town Hall.

They pledged to tow it away within seven days - but it promptly disappeared. It was next seen in Findon Road, Whitehawk.

Mr Manning said: "I've made dozens of calls to the DVLA, Sussex Police and the council but the car still won't go away.

"If it isn't taxed, it can't be covered by insurance, which really worries me in case it is involved in an accident."

No one knows what happened to the car after it was taken from Mr Manning.

But it was later passed on to Patcham Brownie pack leader Sue Goodchild and her husband by a friend and they planned to use it for spare parts.

She said: "I hope I'm not going to be responsible for all these tickets."

Brian Hill, manager of Jordan's scrapyard, said he knew nothing about the car.