Foreign Office refuses to reveal Prince Charles' shoe size

The Foreign Office is reminding holidaymakers that it is only able to help with genuine overseas emergencies after revealing that recent enquires received included a request for Phil Collins' phone number and a man asked staff to contact his dominatrix after she had left him stranded at the airport.

A spokesman said staff working for the UK's global network of Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates are continually approached for weather forecasts and ticket bookings.

Other enquiries received by Foreign Office staff include

- A Brit in Sofia asked the Consulate if they could sell his house for him
- A man called the Consulate in Florida to report that there were ants in his holiday villa and asked for advice on what he should do
- A lady complained to the Embassy in Moscow about a loud buzzing noise in her apartment - she wanted someone to visit her flat and advise the authorities to stop the noise
- A caller in Spain wondered what shoe size Prince Charles wears so they could send him a pair of shoes as a present
- A man asked a Consulate in Greece for information on how to go about putting a chicken coop in his garden
- A man asked Consular staff in Dubai to meet his dog on arrival at customs and help the dog through the customs process, as he would be on holiday when the dog arrived
- A caller asked staff in Malaga in mid-September where she could get a Christmas lunch as everywhere she had phoned was already booked up
- Staff in Greece were asked for tips on the best fishing spots and where to purchase good bait

Minister for consular affairs Jeremy Browne said: "We will always try to help where we can but there are limits to the support that we can provide. Our priority is to help people in real difficulty abroad and we cannot do this if our time is diverted by people trying to use us as a concierge service. We need to be able to focus primarily on helping victims of serious crimes, supporting people who have been detained or assisting people who have lost a loved one abroad."

With permission from Travelmole