"Spirit rings for last orders"

Spirits of a supernatural kind have been making a ghostly appearance at an Oxenhope pub.

Regulars at the Dog and Gun were enjoying the pub's traditional Monday night quiz when decidedly spooky things started happening to which they had no answer.

Four plates on a display rail fell over at the same time, and across the other side of the pub a small brass bell flew off its shelf and hit a wall, whizzing just over the heads of customers.

Landlord Michael Roper explained: "It was around 10.30pm on Monday and the place was full as usual for quiz night.

"All of a sudden four of the plates fell flat at the same time, which gave the people sitting underneath quite a shock. Across the other side of the pub the bell flew across the room and hit the wall with real force.

"The customers who were sitting underneath thought someone had thrown it, but it just seemed to move on its own."

Michael, 41, believes the ghostly goings on could be linked to a female spirit who is said to haunt the pub.

"There are lots of stories about an old woman, who I've heard referred to as both Lucy and Sarah, who was a pig farmer who used to spend all her time here.

"One night she got run over by a horse and cart just outside here and they brought her into the pub, where she died.

"Older customers say they have seen the ghost of a woman dressed in black moving between the ladies toilet and the stairs."

Wife Kathryn, 48, says: "We have just had a new bar area installed and had moved some of the ornaments around, including the plates, for a bit of a change.

"I have heard that spirits hate change so it is possible that what has happened could be related to that.

"We've had a clairvoyant visit the pub and she detected a presence from the toilet, through the bar and up to the stairs."

The supernatural events are nothing new to the family, who have been running the 17th century pub for the last eight years.

Michael adds: "We've had regulars standing at one end of the bar who have felt someone pushing them in the back to get past, and when they turn around there is no-one.

"There have been times when the end cubicle in the ladies toilets has been locked and there has been no-one inside, so we have to get our daughter Jodie to climb over and unlock it. Our dogs often growl as though something is present."

The family say they are keen to learn more about the pub's past and would like to hear from any local historians who can shed light on the haunted happenings.