The offices of the Hampshire Chronicle have provided some spooky goings on for a team of television ghost hunters.

The group from the ‘Phantom or Fraud’ project spent the night in the listed building in Winchester High Street and came away convinced that it houses a number of spirits.

The Newsquest title, which started in 1772, has been based in the High Street offices for almost 200 years.

The site it now stands on has a colourful history dating back as far as 1300 when a large tenement known as La Peryne stood on it.

There have been a number of reported visitations from a ghost – usually that of a woman clanking machinery in part of the building that housed cottages and a small printing press until the existing premises were built in 1897.

Chronicle sub editor Lesley Park is thought to have been the last to see the ghost – in October 2001 – causing some concern to more nervous members of staff.

When ‘Phantom or Fraud’ offered to take a look around, the paper’s editor, Alan Cleaver, invited the team of clairvoyants, sensitives and sceptics to stay overnight.

He spent the night with the TV team, and said he wasn’t surprised at the findings.

He said: “I once worked on a paper called Psychic News and know full well that strange things happen in old buildings.

“Perhaps we should consider a new initiative in starting up ghost tours of the building for the general public!”

Although they didn’t actually see any ghosts, the clairvoyants are certain that a number of spirits are housed in the building.

One of them is that of a man whose presence was traced in the editorial office.

One of the sensitives apparently felt the presence of an undertaker with a coach and horses.

And another could see a large building with a chapel.

One of the team kept seeing chickens and animals in the staff training room. They appeared to be sedated as if in some sort of animal testing laboratory, while a lady in a white coat was also picked up.

One of the clairvoyants picked up a pub scene in a part of the building that was actually a pub until around 1900 – although there was no tangible sign of any spirits.

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