Staff at a Darlington pub are scared to go to work and refuse to go down to the cellar after a series of spooky incidents - including 'human-figure shadows, moving brooms and spinning pens.
Sisters Richelle Stocks and Ashleigh Naisbitt took over the Black and Grey Pub in Morpeth, Darlington, in August - but they claim to have experienced weird goings-on ever since.
The pair claim they've heard loud banging downstairs and were frightened the boozer was being raided - leading them to dial 999.
Richelle, 28, recalled: "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. That's why we thought it was getting closer because down the corridor is the kitchen.
"I said 'call the police straight away' because there was just so much banging and clattering downstairs."
After three police cars arrived to check out the premises, they found the building was completely empty.
But when they looked over the CCTV footage, they discovered "human-looking" shadows tiptoeing past the bar area.
"It was just mad because I would have bet my life that there was somebody in the building," Richelle said.
Two days after the freaky incident, Richelle, invited the spook (who they've named Paul) to move a pen she held in the palm of her hand.
Mum-of-four Ashleigh, 35, recalled: "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."
In CCTV footage, Richelle leaps to her feet as the pen appears to spin all on its own.
Richelle said: "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."
Do you have a spooky story to share? Email jessica.taylor@reachplc.com.
Another video shows a still broom suddenly lurching forward and hitting an employee in the back.
The siblings are sure the pub they've taken on is a hive for paranormal activity, meaning neither of them will sleep in the building alone.
However, they insisted they think Paul is a "gentle" ghost.
The sisters' mum got in touch with some local ghost hunters to try and figure out what Paul was up to - but they couldn't figure it out.
Now, staff members at the pub are scared to go down to the cellar after hearing the banging.
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."
She added: "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."
Ashleigh concluded the only explanation for the strange activity is that it's "something else."
She said: "I wouldn't say that I was scared. I wouldn't like to sleep there by myself but overall I feel a sense of comfort in the fact that I am now convinced that there is 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."
Richelle said: "I get comfort that there were at least three of us that experienced the whole thing and we all will always have that. We know what happened, it was absolutely madness."
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."
