You saucy old ghost!

For the cheeky chap has proved himself to be definitely one for the ladies.

Christina with daughters Gemma (28) and Victoria (23) moved to the Eagle and Child in Whalley Road, Shuttleworth, in August, and have since experienced a series of sometimes saucy goings on attributed to the spirit known as "George".

Christina maintains there are no plans to evict "George", who prefers to make his presence known to young women.

The family enlisted the services of a medium and were told that George had been a stable attendant at the former coaching house, which dates back more than two centuries.

Christina (57) said: "He's quite a friendly chap and he definitely likes the ladies. My eldest daughter Gemma was at the bar when something smacked her on the bottom and my youngest Victoria had her cheek stroked. There was nobody nearby.

"One of our regulars says that she saw the glasses move, and that was before she had drunk anything.

"We mentioned it to one of the customers, who said that it would be George."

George is believed to have tended guest's horses in the cellar, which once served as the village dungeon.

Christina said: "Apparently he would tend the horses at a number of places in return for some ale money and a bed for the night. This pub was his favourite. Sometimes you can hear him down in the cellar. We had an electrician working down there on his own who swears that someone was with him the whole time.

"He's a cheeky ghost rather than a destructive one, and under no circumstances would we consider an exorcism."

Former landlady Noleen Searlas, who ran the pub until 1985, said that she and her late husband, Patrick, had seen apparitions on several occasions.

She said: "I saw a figure with a cloak swishing around in the cellar passageway numerous times. There was a bit of irritation when we first moved into the pub and we realised there was something knocking about, but after a while it didn't bother us."