Is this a ghost at Bacup theatre?

6:44pm Sunday 1st June 2008

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By Helen Korn »

A PARANORMAL investigation has been carried out in a bid to find the truth behind a theatre's resident ghost Norah'.

And the team has revealed a picture showing what they believe is a ghost.

Bacup Royal Court Theatre staff called in the investigators after cast, crew and visitors sensed the Rochdale Road venue was haunted.

The Paranormal Activity Research Team of Lancashire spent a night at the theatre with six staff.

Equipped with electro-magnetic field meters, infra-red cameras and temperature sensors, investigators Pete and Marlene Bony and Peter Everitt, were accompanied by medium Judith Roby.

After the investigation, Pete said: "There are certainly four or five spirits present including a couple of children. We believe there's a lot more to be found."

As well as the picture, the team said they also heard the sound of shuffling in the circle and a man who said he was Mr Jackson who had once owned the theatre. On the stage Pete said he felt that someone had fallen to their death, and Judith said she saw a lady playing piano in the rehearsal room.

The theatre was originally an iron foundry but opened the following year as a theatre.

In the 20th century it was a picture palace and a bingo hall before becoming The Empire Theatre. Several years ago, it changed its name back to the Royal Court and is owned and run by Bacup Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society on a charitable basis.

The Paranormal Activity Research Team of Lancashire was set up a few years ago and offers free investigations of all buildings in which ghosts are suspected.

But Pete said the team felt that Norah was not the ghost's name: "One of our psychics got the sense she was clearly given the name Kitty, which corresponds with a book of the history of the theatre which she hadn't been allowed to look at before the investigation.

"Kitty was an usher."