THE dark and dingy cells underneath the city's Guildhall are enough to send a shiver down anyone's spine whatever day it is.

In the dead of night on Hallowe'en it takes an especially brave person to venture down to the dismal dungeons.

But Worcester Paranormal Group did just that, with 15 members spending six hours in the pitch black - with just a few resident spooks for company.

This was no amateur set-up though.

On arrival a whole host of ghost-detecting gadgets - electro-magnetic field meters, dousing rods, video recorders and digital cameras - were brought out and readings taken from each cell to compare results throughout the night. And it turned out to be quite a busy evening.

"The resident jailer made his presence known first," John Webb, founder of the group, said.

"He was pacing up and down past the three cells.

"We got a very distinctive outline of a tall, stocky man with long straggly hair."

He added that a serving wench, who used to serve the prisoners bread and water, was also present.

"The medium who was with us also picked up on a couple of prisoners being hanged," he said.

If all that wasn't enough, the group ventured to the Cathedral grounds for 'witching hour'.

"It was a weird atmosphere, we knew something was not quite right," John said."But we didn't pick up any names.

"Instead we got more in Sidbury. There were a couple of Cavaliers walking about by the King's Head and the Commandery, and there was a distinct abattoir smell. We found out that it was where the dead soldiers were buried."

For more on Worcester Paranormal Group, call Mr Webb on 07787 965592 or visit www.worcesterpara normalgroup.com

l Meanwhile, children dressed in horror costumes were indulging in some spooky fun at Worcester's Warndon Community Centre.