All i did was flush the bloody radiator...

Dave, it’s not going to be a return spring on the pedal as it shouldn’t be possible for the hydraulics to lock on. Assuming you have the twin master setup, you need to jack it up again and ascertain whether it is fronts or rears that are sticking on. It sounds like one of the master cylinders is not releasing pressure properly. 

Exactly what Roger said, we have had the same problem with over winter storage gum builds up the bore behind the rubber boot, it is just enough to hold the piston forward ( brakes on), it doesn't have to be much to stop you pushing a car. To rectify it dose mean a brake master strip down, but as Roger said you need to find out if it's the front or rear brakes binding. 

Thanks both. One thing I did do yesterday was to was to lubricate all of the mechanisms as they have been flooded occasionally!

When I put the car on the jacks and tried each wheel the resistance was far less than yesterday, I could spin them with my hands, the fronts offered more resistance however given the bias you would expect that anyway.

After that I then dropped it back onto the floor and  found that although there was still some resistance it was nothing like yesterdays. 

Not entirely sure but it could just be gunk on the shaft enough to stop the pedal coming back, something Gerry mentioned on the phone he has seen before. 

Will take it for a gentle run tomorrow evening and see how things go.

Thanks

Dave

With it jacked up, you shouldn’t notice any difference in resistance due to brake bias unless you’re pressing the pedal - brakes off is brakes off, unless something’s spectacularly out of adjustment!

sounds like a bit of low-usage stickiness to me. As Barry has said the piston might well stick again. Use it as your family daily driver for 6 months and that should sort it. 

If it is the Hawk pedals, the pivot spindle can get rusty if it gets wet causing the brake pedal to stick and not return properly. I had this problem a good few years ago and the only way to sort it without removing the pedal, is by working it off and on at the same time as dripping some oil on the shaft. A better idea would be to fit a grease nipple on the pedal above the shaft.

Thanks all, it may well have been a combination of things, the pivot spindle does need removing and cleaning which should prove an interesting challenge

I had forgotten the 2 inches of water that accumulated in the foot well at Le Mans last year! It has been lubricated to death and will try the tip from Clive.

I also stripped down the front calipers and removed all the sticky copper slip/grease/dirt combo on the back of the pads which was not helping release the pistons. At the MOT today the guy was really helpful and helped check the pads in the rears which seemed loose and we could move the pistons as well so they look all good.

Brake pressures were good and even and it sailed through so I will get through the weekend and see where we are, I suspect it is part down to previous limited use, we have added almost 6000 miles in two years compared to the 8000 in the previous decade or so!

Thanks all.