VIDEO: Ghostly goings-on at historic Bolton pub

10:33am Wednesday 26th December 2007

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Go to Ye Olde Man and Scythe pub in Bolton and you are likely to get a different kind of spirit.

For spooky goings-on have been caught on CCTV at the Churchgate pub, according to a paranormal investigator.

Spiritualist medium David Holt, aged 24, from Westhoughton, spent a Friday night at the pub in the hope of recording some ghostly activity.

Armed with his ghost tracking kit - including Electro-Voice Phenomena (EVPs) and night vision camcorders - Mr Holt and nine fellow spirit hunters spent more than seven hours watching and waiting.

Mr Holt, who claims to have seen his first spirit at the age of four, said: "We held a number of experiments with the spirit world and managed to get some voice phenomena and footage of orbs - circular lights seen in the picture on the right.

"We held a séance, asked the famous question Is anyone here?' and a voice replied, Can I help you?' A woman at the seance asked if anyone was around her and a young boy answered, Ian'. Her cousin Ian died earlier this year, he was just a little boy."

The orbs caught on camera are said to be a representation of spirit manifestation, possibly deceased loved ones or guardian angels. Fans of Living TV's Most Haunted will be familiar with them. Spiritual-sceptics, however, believe they are dust particles bouncing from light.

Mr Holt said: "Orbs are very significant. They represent a lot in paranormal investigations. They can interact on request and random dust particles cannot do that."

According to David, non-believers should beware.

"One day you will definitely find out if the spirit world is there, whether you want to or not," he said.

"To sceptics I'd invite them to look at the evidence themselves. As a spiritualist medium it is my job to enlighten people, not frighten people.

"You can only go so far as to give evidence, and that is what I try to do - give evidence."

Ye Olde Man and Scythe is the oldest pub in Bolton, dating back to 1251. The building has seen many historical events, including the "Massacre of Bolton" in 1644, which saw the death of 500 soldiers. It was also the scene of the beheading of Earl of Derby in 1651.

Mr Holt holds a meeting at Ye Olde Man and Scythe every month.