Pub owners say bar is HAUNTED as items move on their own

The owners of a pub have claimed to have caught a resident ghost on camera terrifying guests and leaving staff too fearful to work alone.

Sisters Richelle Stocks and Ashleigh Naisbitt have been forced to call out police to the Black and Grey pub in Morpeth, Northumberland over a series of ‘strange’ supernatural incidents.

Spooky CCTV footage from the bar shows objects moving on their own and dark shapes appearing out of nowhere.

One clip shows a pen appearing to spin unaided on Richelle’s hand, causing her to jump up in fright, and a broom moving on its own.

The pair, who took on the pub in August last year, said soon after they heard loud banging downstairs and fearful their pub was being burgled rang the police – who rushed over only to find the building empty.

Police reviewing CCTV footage discovered ‘human-looking’ shadows moving past the bar area in September last year

When they looked over the CCTV footage they discovered ‘human-looking’ shadows tip-toe past the bar area.

Just two days later, while enjoying drinks in the bar, Richelle invited the resident ghost, dubbed ‘Paul’, to move the pen held in the palm of her hand.

CCTV footage shows 28-year-old Richelle leap to her feet with her jaw wide open as the pen appeared to rotate on its own. 

The siblings claim the pub is a hive of paranormal activity, and although they believe ghost ‘Paul’ to be ‘gentle’, they no longer sleep in the pub alone.

Richelle said: ‘We were staying upstairs in the apartment and in the middle of the night we both shot up awake and said “what on earth is going on?”.

‘It kind of sounded like metal banging together, like if you’d grabbed some pots.

Richelle, 28, (pictured) said: ‘We looked at the CCTV cameras and there was nothing apart from shadows. There was a shadow bobbing across the bar and there was nothing to create this shadow. It was just mad because I would have bet my life that there was somebody in the building’

The 35-year-old said one bar staff member has been left ‘too scared’ to go down to the cellar after hearing banging and Richelle said she even felt her bobble hat being ‘budged’ on her head

‘I said “call the police straight away” because there was just so much banging and clattering downstairs. We were certain we were being broken into.

‘We rang the police and said “there’s someone downstairs, someone’s broken in”.

‘The police came, got in and said: “there’s nothing here, there’s no disturbance whatsoever”.

‘We looked at the CCTV cameras and there was nothing apart from shadows. There was a shadow bobbing across the bar and there was nothing to create this shadow.

‘It was just mad because I would have bet my life that there was somebody in the building.’

Mum-of-four Ashleigh said that a few nights later she and Richelle stayed behind after work and were discussing the bizarre incident with the bar manager when another strange incident occurred.

‘One staff member was standing outside by the bin area and you can just see the broom falls. He took the mick after we told him about the pen, and then this broom fell on him and he was quite terrified then’

Ashleigh said: ‘We were in the bar having a few drinks and Richelle randomly put this pen on her hand and said “if there’s anybody there, move this pen” and literally two seconds later the pen started spinning.’

Richelle said that ‘Paul’s’ pen trick spooked her – and their manager fled the table. 

‘I flung the pen and looked at Ashleigh with my eyes wide like “what has just happened?” You know when you don’t even believe yourself that something has just happened.

‘The manager sprints out and Ashleigh and I just looked at each other. I was amazed.

‘We watched the CCTV and I didn’t move or tilt my hand, I didn’t do anything and this pen is just spinning in the centre of my hand.’

Richelle added: ‘We’ve been there enough that if something wanted to do anything harmful or scary they could. It’s all been what I would consider quite gentle and they’re letting us know that there’s something there but not actually taking it too far.’ Pictured: Richelle and sister Ashleigh react to the pen moving in her hand

Ashleigh revealed their mum contacted local ghost hunters to try and debunk what happened but had no luck.

The 35-year-old said one bar staff member has been left ‘too scared’ to go down to the cellar after hearing banging and Richelle said she even felt her bobble hat being ‘budged’ on her head.

Ashleigh said: ‘We had incidents afterwards with iPads flying off the shelves, fridge doors opening themselves behind the bar and lots of footsteps. So there’s a lot of activity going on.

‘I would never sleep there on my own, never. 

‘One day I heard my mum’s voice very clearly saying “hi girls”. I turned around and said “hey mum, come on in, we’re just in here” but she wasn’t there, there was no one there.’

Richelle admitted they have experienced some staffing issues thanks to the antics in what was previously an old inn. 

‘One staff member was standing outside by the bin area and you can just see the broom falls. He took the mick after we told him about the pen, and then this broom fell on him and he was quite terrified then.

‘The only explanation is that it’s “something else”. It’s definitely nothing being created in the pub. There’s something else there whether that’s a ghost or a different entity.

‘I don’t even know what I believe but I believe there’s something there that wanted us to know that there’s something else. 

‘We’ve been there enough that if something wanted to do anything harmful or scary they could. It’s all been what I would consider quite gentle and they’re letting us know that there’s something there but not actually taking it too far.’ 

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: ‘Shortly after 3.40am on September 22 last year, police received a report of a suspected burglary at the Black and Grey pub on Newgate Street, Morpeth.

‘It was reported that sounds of a break-in could be heard however when officers investigated they could find no signs of an attempted break-in and nothing was missing or damaged.’