A historic haunted stately home is to get a modern eco-friendly heating system.

The state-of-the-art new hybrid air source heat pump technology is to be installed at Samlesbury Hall between Blackburn and Preston.

The system is being supported by Lancashire County Council's low carbon heat grant programme with the work due to be completed by September.

The new hybrid heating scheme will enable the trust which manages the Grade I listed manor house originally built in the 14th Century and is said to have 13 ghosts to choose between using electricity or gas.

An inefficient older oil boiler is being replaced with a system which takes heat from the air and moves it efficiently into the building.

By giving the custodians of the hall the hybrid option of electricity or gas power, they will be able to choose which is the most cost-effective method at the time.

The additional benefit of the new heating system is that it will no longer be underneath the historic building which will reduce the fire risk while also saving carbon making it more eco-friendly.

The system will be manufactured using a Lancashire firm, Lytham-based Global Energy Systems, a renewable energy company who specialise in air source heat pumps.

The county council's environment boss Cllr Shaun Turner said: "Using new energy-efficient systems allows us to help historic buildings like this to become safer and more efficient to heat.

"Carbon-saving measures are vital to making Lancashire greener and cleaner.

"It is also important to us that we use Lancashire firms where possible to support their growth and the local economy.

"We are excited by the amount of innovative new projects that are coming up in the near future."

Other air source heat pump project currently being piloted with county council support include at Clegg's Chilled Food Service, based in Longridge and at the Colne premises of GGM Group.

These projects were funded through local growth funding, allocated by the authority to low carbon heating schemes across Lancashire.