Ghost-hunters have offered to help the landlord of one of Bingley’s oldest pubs after a terrified barman heard giggling from its resident spirit.

Sceptic Jake Softly was working alone in the 16th century coaching inn, the White Horse, when he heard the footsteps of what he believes to be the spirit of a child and laughing from the room above the bar.

Mr Softly, of Adam Croft, Cullingworth, said: “I was in the back re-stocking the fridge and when I came back through. I heard three little footsteps above me and a childish giggle. It was really scary.”

There have also been reports of a television being turned on and reports from previous tenants of objects being inexplicably moved around the pub.

Following the latest incident, landlord Roy Davison posted on social networking site Facebook about the eerie goings on and was contacted by the Pennine Paranormal Society, which investigates ghostly behaviour.

The society’s founder Si Booth is now planning a paranormal investigation to find out more about the ghostly goings-on.

Mr Booth, of Haworth, said: “I have heard that there is a little girl as well as some other entities, noises and people walking about. The previous tenants said that there were things that had been moved around.

“It is certainly known as a hot spot, so I contacted the landlord on Facebook to say we would investigate.”

Mr Davison took on the lease of the White Horse, which is understood to have been founded on the site of a Norman church by the Knights Templar, last month with his partner Matt Halliday Mr Davison, 31, said: “We were told when we took over the pub that it was well-known for having different spirits in the building. It is one of the oldest pubs in Bingley and everyone has a tale to tell about seeing something or knowing someone who has seen something. We just disregarded it at first.

“Then, on opening night, one of the customers asked who the child was upstairs when there was no child there. Then I was sent a text message by Jake, saying I had left the television on upstairs. I don’t own a television, so I hadn’t left it on.

“When Jake heard the giggling, we put it on Facebook and a lot of the comments are specifically about a child.

“If anyone knows about it, we would really like to hear from them.”