BE AFRAID, be very afraid. For this Halloween there are reports of ghostly goings-on at the Bournemouth Pavilion.

Staff at the historic theatre claim there is more than just creaky floorboards and an eerie atmosphere - ghosts have been spotted.

Tales are told of Emily, an actress who collapsed on stage in the 1930s and is said still to haunt the old building.

"One member of staff has claimed to have been chased up the corridor," said Simon Bagnall, stage manager, "Another reported seeing things thrown on stage when no-one was there, others have heard someone walking across the empty stage.

"There's also a mystery surrounding a red admiral butterfly that appears and flies around the auditorium - it has been trodden on before and still survived.

"Personally I'm not sure. Perhaps some of the activity can be put down to people's imaginations - you never know."

A clairvoyant, who matched the description of a woman in a period costume with the reported sightings from staff, has investigated the listed 1920s building.

Cllr Bob Chapman, a firm supporter of the Pavilion since the 1950s, said, "Who knows if the theatre is haunted?

"It's certainly not unusual to hear tales of theatre phantoms."

Construction of a leisure development is planned on the adjacent Bath Road North Car Park, which will generate at least £13 million to restore the Pavilion.

"If Emily does exist, perhaps she can rest in peace knowing her theatre will soon be restored to its glory days of the 1930s when she was treading the boards," added Cllr Chapman.