THE spirit of the seventh Earl of Derby will play a part in this year's Halloween celebrations at Bolton oldest ­— and one the country's most haunted ­— pub.

James Stanley is said to haunt Ye Olde Man & Scythe since his execution in Churchgate in 1651, with the royalist, whose family originally owned the inn, is rumoured to have spent the last hours of his life there before he was beheaded on October 15, 1651.

He was executed for his part in the Bolton massacre, which led tot the death of 1,500 townsfolk.

This year, the anniversary of his execution will be marked as part of Halloween celebrations at the pub ­— thought to be the fourth-oldest pub in Great Britain ­— which still has the chair he sat in before his death.

Colin Liptrot said: "James Stanley was known for his brutal actions against the people of Bolton during the English Civil War. We usually try to mark the event every year as a bit of a memorial for the previous landlord, John Jewitt, who absolutely loved to promote the history of the pub and Churchgate."

And in keeping with the theme, the pub will be running a fancy dress theme.

"For anybody who is hoping to come down and perform at the jam session, open mic or ukulele club, or indeed for those who might wish to come and enjoy the varied entertainment on offer and soak up the Halloween festivities, we are running a fancy dress theme of Cavaliers vs Roundheads. Costumes can be a gruesome or as regal as individuals desire," said Colin, one of the event organisers, "Although the theme is not compulsory, and we will also gladly welcome zombies, witches, vampires and any other scary people­— we're used to dealing with much worse!"

The night is a collaboration between Cider 'ouse Jam Nite the open mic, and, Bolton Ukulele Club.

During the evening there will be songs and poetry from the Civil War period and Morris Dancing outside.

Colin said: "The three music sessions will rotate during the course of the evening giving quite a variation for those in attendance."

In 2014, security footage captured a presence at one end of the bar with people asking whether it was the seventh Earl of Derby. Visit www.theboltonnews.co.uk to watch the video.

The evening takes place on Wednesday, October 30 starting at 7pm.