A HISTORIC North-East inn that has featured on the Most Haunted TV programme has been flooded with bookings from ghost hunters in the runup to Halloween.

Janice Carmedy-Pye and her husband, Philip, took over running of the Manor House, Ferryhill, at the start of the year alongside business partner Peter Coates. After refurbishing the kitchen and employing a new head chef, the team has been winning acclaim for its food and selection of drinks.

Mrs Carmedy-Pye said: “The Manor House is steeped in history and goes back to the 16th Century. It is rumoured that our Panel Room has two tunnels, one leading to Durham and the other to the local church. It is reputedly haunted and, while we haven’t seen anything suspicious ourselves, plenty of our regulars have reported strange sightings, although that might have been drink-induced.

“It was on Most Haunted when the last owners lived at the manor and that seems to have really sparked interest from paranormal groups. We have started running haunted nights, where the various companies hire the rooms out and do their investigations.”

Decidedly less macabre are the manor’s regular family fun days, which include a bouncy castle, toys and games held in its gardens which were recently given a Gold Award from Northumbria in Bloom.