A group of ghost hunters who have been tuning into the area's ghoulish goings on are preparing to stake out a couple of South Lakeland spooks this Hallowe'en, reports Lisa Frascarelli.

Led by Morecambe medium Michelle Stavert, the four-strong group have been making contact with things that go bump in the night to raise cash for the North West Air Ambulance.

The all female ghostbusters have spent nights at some of the spectres' favourite haunts including the Kirkstone Pass Inn; The Malt Shovel, at Warton; The Nib, in Carnforth; and the Bulls Head Hotel, in Milnthorpe; but come Sunday they will be stopping over at the Milnthorpe Institute.

Armed only with an electro magnetic field detector and a digital camera, the phantom finders are on the look out for a young woman and old man who are said to haunt the institute.

"We will hold a sance at about 2.30am the real witching hour," said the Morecambe psychic. "We're hoping to be able to identify who this man and woman are."

Milnthorpe's Adrian Durr, who works at the institute, claims he has made contact with the ghosts.

"There's a young lady who's about 25 in the snooker room I see her nearly every time I'm in there," explained the 33-year-old machine driver.

Mr Durr said he has never seen the man but has felt his presence. However, he said he has spoken to a blonde ghost, who he believes is called Lindsey, on many occasions.

"She wears Victorian-style clothes and she's very friendly," he said. "She even helped me win a game of cards. A lot of people don't believe me but I don't care, I know what I've seen."

So far the ghost-busting group have had several successful encounters with the other side.

"There was a very, very strong energy at the Bulls Head," explained Ms Stavert. "We made contact with a very nasty man called Elijah who seemed to have some link with the institute which is why we are going there. He was a very horrible, fat man who seemed to have some connection with a workhouse or poor house."

Another spectral sighting occurred at The Nib, in Carnforth. Although the ghost hunters left empty handed, a recent brush with the paranormal has left landlord and former sceptic Ian Nicholls shaken.

"The women came here and I thought it was all a load of rubbish," he explained. "A few weeks ago I was mysteriously woken up at 3am. I looked to my right and there was something sat on the bed. At first I thought it was my wife with a towel wrapped around her but when I reached over it moved back. It looked like a man I could see a face and torso.

"Honestly, I used to be a total, total sceptic. Everyone has laughed at me but I know what happened and it was very weird."

l Michelle Stavert and her team will be putting on a demonstration at the Milnthorpe Institute on Sunday night before their ghostly exploits.

Ghost-finding equipment and images will be on display and Ms Stavert will be demonstrating her clairvoyant skills on the audience from 8pm.