STAFF from an opticians are preparing for a spookticle' as they visit a haunted house to raise funds for a children's hospice.

A team of 10 staff from Specsavers Opticians in Worcester are braced for a sleepless night at the Skirrid Inn near Abergavenny, Wales, to raise money for Acorns Children's Hospice.

The inn, featured on TV's Most Haunted, is reputed to be the oldest pub in Wales, tracing its history back to the Norman Conquest.

The staff are not expected to get much sleep as they view the noose marks where 180 rebels from the Monmouth Rebellion were hanged in 1685.

A medium, Alan Williams, will also be spending the night to help them pick up on any signals from the spirit world.

Store director Alan Richards said: The team wanted to think of an unusual way to fund-raise and I agreed I'd support them, whatever they decided to do. Once I heard what they had in store, I began to regret agreeing to go, but I couldn't be seen as a wimp - after all it's a very good cause."

To sponsor the team or make a donation to Worcester-based Acorns, which cares for life-limited children, call the store telephone 01905 729779.