THE ghost of Penlake House is given a spooky airing by a pensioner reader who claims first-hand knowledge of two hair-raising incidents which happened while she was living there.

Miss Edith Carter, now 90 but still blessed with a pin-sharp mind, also provides an explanation as to how the Penlake area at Sutton came by its unusual name.

But back to that restless spirit. Edith tells us that Penlake House stood alongside two more humble cottages at the end of the unmade Penlake Lane, which was then surrounded by farmland and tall trees. All three buildings, which had served as railway offices before being replaced and converted into family dwellings, were demolished many years ago.

"Our family occupied Penlake House", she recalls. It was quite an impressive structure with its five bedrooms, lounge, dining room, hall kitchen and back kitchen. It also boasted a large garden, complete with tennis court.

Says Edith: "My mother once had her grandson staying with us for a holiday. He was about nine or 10 at the time. One night, when mother was in bed, she awoke to feel a hand move over her head and shoulders".

Aroused by this, she thought it must have been her grandson, But with eyes open, found was no-one there. "So she went to see if he was still in his bedroom, and there he was sound asleep".

Next morning Edith's mother said she had been disturbed by this "queer sensation".

After the Carter family had vacated Penlake House, Edith, who still had the door keys, returned to show a friend around the place.

"When upstairs, on the landing I heard footsteps as if someone had entered the house", she says.

After quietly walking about downstairs, the presence (if such it was) went away.

Edith, checked the hallway and all the rooms. She drew a blank and noticed that both the front and back doors were firmly closed.

There was no traffic or people about to explain the ghostly sound, as Penlake House stood on private railway land. "But putting the two incidents together, it certainly made me wonder!"

Many years ago, Penlake Lane did, in fact, have a lake which was drained to form allotments, adds Edith. Railway wagons transported live cattle on the adjoining track and these were unloaded into a pen on the bordering field. The pen and lake were obviously put together to form the name of that pocket of Sutton.