Last updated at 13:17, Friday, 22 March 2013

Vodka, whiskey and gin are not the only spirits at a Workington pub, if recent reports are to believed.

Staff at the Travellers’ Rest on High Street claim that a troublesome entity known only as “George” has been making his presence felt by breaking glasses, closing doors and even pinning down former landlords.

Linda Pettit, 59, of Harrington, claims the events had been going on for some time before she took over the licence three years ago.

She said: “Things do happen. Glasses fly off shelves for no reason.

“I definitely think there is something in it. There are lots of things going on when there shouldn’t be - nothing major or really scary - just little things.”

Linda insisted that it was impossible that a drunken customer could be responsible for the broken glasses.

She said: “No one was any where near them.”

She had also heard stories that a former landlord and his son were pinned down by an unseen presence. Paranormal activity has also been reported around an upstairs room where it is understood that at least one person has died.

Most recently, all the doors on the landing were mysteriously closed though they had all been left open, but of these only the door to a particular room was locked.

Linda said: “A door has shut and we can’t get into it. We don’t know where the key went, it just disappeared.”

Waitress Adele Meighan, 38, said: “I won’t go upstairs, it’s creepy up there. You feel like somebody’s watching you.”

Mark Knowles, 29, head chef, said he would have to be paid to spend the night in the pub.

Barman Allan Mitchell, 55, of Ullock, was more sceptical. He said: “I have spent the night here and I haven’t seen anything.”

Linda, who is fascinated by the paranormal, wants to find out who named the ghost George and whether he was a real person with links to the pub.

She is also keen to trace the roots of the story and is even considering involving a medium to get to the bottom of the mystery.

First published at 13:10, Friday, 22 March 2013
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk