EERIE sounds and cold temperatures sent a shiver down the spine of a team from TV show Most Haunted at Bacup's Royal Court Theatre.

Yvette Fielding and the team spent a night investigating reports of alleged paranormal activity at the 19th Century building for their new series on satellite channel Really.

And the team were spooked by what Yvette described as something that ‘sounds like a child’s laugh’.

During a seance at the theatre, which was opened in 1853, Yvette also claimed her hand went cold before the team were terrified backstage by some unusual goings on in the dark.

At the end of the programme the former Blue Peter presenter said: “With our nerves shredded, we decided to call it a night. For a little theatre in Bacup the Royal Court was certainly crammed full with other-wordly residents. Our night out at the theatre proved to be extremely dark and dramatic.”

The Royal Court building originally housed the Henrietta Street Iron Foundry, which was destroyed by fire in 1850. The burnt out shell was bought in 1886 and reconstructed as a theatre.

Theatre staff, the public, stage crew and performers have all reported unusual supernatural experiences.

They include objects being thrown, bells being rung, unexplained draughts and strange sightings when the theatre is empty.

Dr John Callow, historian and ghost sceptic, said: “A place of light and laughter, by dark can often seem eerie. In this way the smashing of glass in the storeroom or upon a corridor, the banging of wood, the sounds of bouncing wooden blocks down the hallway, can take on a number of different interpretations.

“What to one viewer may be more than the rusty hinges on a long-disused seat suddenly clicking up into place, the sound of a chair slipping back, a seat upturning, to another might be prima facia evidence, perhaps, of poltergeist activity.

“With all considerations, much depends on the perspectives and the beliefs of the individual. Ultimately it’s a matter of personal belief.”