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Things that go bump in the night…

Life as a reporter can be unpredictable, and, as the Bristol Evening Post’s Olivier Vergnault found, even scary at times.

On his latest assignment he was sent out to spend the night in the Clock Tower of Ashton Court mansion, which claims several hauntings including a headless horseman who rides the estate on moonlit nights and ladies in grey floating through locked doors.

Before spending the night there, Olivier decided to visit the mansion during the day to see what lay ahead and meet estate manager Chris Wood who had plenty of ghost tales to tell.

A week later he returned, arriving at midnight armed with a sleeping bag, mattress, warm clothes and a torch.

He climbed the spiral staircase to the Clock Room where he set up camp. Chris gave him a yellow hard hat and hand-sized panic alarm before leaving him alone for the night.

Olivier then curled up in his sleeping bag and attempted to go to sleep.

He said: “Although I did not believe any ghosts, spectre or ghouls would be coming to get me, I covered my face inside the sleeping bag, leaving only a small opening to breathe.

“If I did not believe, I certainly did not want to see, either.”

However this didn’t help, and within an hour Olivier began to hear creaking noises.

He said: “I didn’t worry too much at first because such creaks are normal in any old house composed of much timber.

“But soon I could hear footsteps in the neighbouring room. Then they grew louder. And closer. I was so tense I forgot to breathe. My imagination began to run riot.

“The steps grew louder still. What should I do? Leap from my sleeping bag to cuff the intruder around the head with a rolled up copy of the Evening Post? Or stay put and hope whatever it was went away.

“I could visualise the headless horseman, the lady in grey, the ghostly dogs and the phantom of Sir John in his cape and top hat – another of Ashton Court’s otherworldly residents – and so decided on the latter, less heroic, option.”

Olivier hardly slept after that as the footsteps returned twice during the night and he thought about reaching for his panic button – but did not dare move for fear of attracting attention.

But despite all that, he eventually drifted off to sleep before being woken up by the cleaner at 7.30am.

He had survived the night – but has decided he won’t be returning.

“I didn’t see any ghosts but hearing footsteps in the night was more than enough to convince me,” said Olivier.

“As for returning to Ashton Court and spending another night on a ghost hunt, I don’t think so. I’m still getting over the nightmares from my first visit.”

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