STAFF at the Lord Eldon in Knutsford are in no doubt that a ghost works there too.

Last year in an attempt to solve the riddle, ghost investigators set up base at the 300-year-old pub to help identity the strange woman dressed in 19th century clothing.

For decades many believed she was Knutsford's first May Queen, Annie Sarah Pollitt, whose father James was landlord of the Tatton Street pub in the late 1800s.

When an old photograph of a woman was uncovered in the outhouse some years ago staff thought they had their proof.

But research by the paranormal investigators concluded that the woman was not Annie Sarah Pollitt.

The photograph may not be related to the spooky goings-on, but since it was hung in the pub many of the other pictures have been found hanging crookedly in the morning.

Landlady Laura Scullion was sceptical about the myth when she took over the pub two years ago - until she too glimpsed a white figure.

"We had just closed for the night and I was standing at the bar with a barman when the white shadow of a woman moved across the bar and into the tap room," she said.

Belief in ghosts can be traced back thousands of years over many continents.

But psychologist David Holmes says there is no evidence that ghosts, spirits or poltergeist exist.

"There is nothing to prove that ghosts exist now or ever have done," he said. "Their existence is brought about by a combination of expectation, belief and arousal - and a bit of madness."

Dr Holmes, who specialises in para-psychology, says that many people tell made-up ghost stories so many times that they begin to believe them too.

"These people are known as schizo-typal personalities and they often use the spooky stories or illusions for their own personal gain," he said.

He believes that they target suggestible and unstable people who are open to influence in an attempt to win fame and fortune.

"Their victims are often prone to anxiety about themselves and join in the game to escape it," he said. "Then their mind begins to play tricks so that they believe in the made-up presence too."

Medium Christine Woolford is a strong believer in ghosts, spirits and life-after-death.

"My opinion is that we can see things in our mind's eye that are not visible through the physical eye," she said. "It does not play tricks because it is there to give us a greater understanding about who we are and where we come from."

During her training to become a spiritual healer she learned that spirits can get 'trapped' between this world and the next.

"They make their presence felt because they are lost and want to be rescued," she said. "They may even move objects in an attempt to be seen."

For Christine, who practises energy and spiritual healing in Knutsford, there is also a difference between a ghost and dead person's spirit.

"A ghost is the energy of a person's memory that may exist in a building associated with them during their lifetime," she said. "But their spirit, which lives on after they have passed away, is not confined to one place."

The mission of a spirit is clear to Christine, who is now a regular visitor to a spiritualist church.

Although she believes that evil spirits do exist, most, she claims, are loving and return via mediums to help the healing process.

"I have seen people crying because a loved one has returned to provide answers or put right the wrongs of their physical life," she said. "Even if they have been horrible to you in their lifetime they may return to say they are sorry and there is a huge relief for people who are healed by the spirits."

Some ghosts, though, exist for other reasons, says Christine.

In paranormal author Tom Slemen's book Haunted Cheshire, he tells how the 'ghost' of a young girl saved a Knutsford couple's baby 10 years ago.

The mother told Mr Slemen how she had seen a figure leaning over her son's cot after being woken by his cries.

Two weeks later, the child's father - woken by his wife's screams - found their baby, Aaron, lying on their bed and choking.

As his wife cradled their baby, the child vomited and then began breathing normally again.

But the mystery remained: how did their son get from his cot to their bed?

Dr Holmes, though, believes that people often fabricate stories about ghosts to explain why they were frightened in the dark.

"When people are lost or in the dark it seems that anything is possible because they become anxious and need an explanation for what they are feeling," he said. "Humans need to justify why they act in certain ways and need a reason to stop them looking silly when they are frightened."

Not so, says Christine.

As a former bereavement counsellor, she believes that seeing or feeling the presence of a spirit is an important part of the grieving process.

"To know that they are still with us and are watching over us is a great comfort and can help us to deal with the loss," she said. "I believe that we are well protected by the spirits and usually don't feel frightened by them when we feel their presence during the grieving process."

Dr Holmes believes the myth of ghosts has survived so long because we all need a reassurance that there is life after death.

"Ghosts are the reassurance they need - even if they don't exist," he said.

But Christine insists it is all part of a sense of belonging.

"Many people feel that they do not belong in society but we all need to feel that we belong somewhere," she said. "So to feel that there is an after-life that we all belong to without question is a real comfort to many."