HAUNTING tales of witches and spirits make Pendle the best - or is it worst - place to be this Hallowe'en.

The area always draws many visitors on October 31, but this year, for the first time, Pendle council has planned some special events to attract even more tourists.

Guided minibus tours of Pendleside and two 17th-century evenings in the atmospheric Pendle Heritage Centre are being laid on.

"We decided to hold the 17th-century events as we get many enquiries from this country and around the world from people who want to know the real stories from this era," said one of the organisers, Pendle council's Sarah Lee.

She has written books on the Pendle witches and helped to devise the Witches Trail, a 45-mile route that traces the women's last journey to Lancaster, where they were tried and hanged in 1612.

"The evenings have certainly caught the imagination of many people and tickets are already selling fast," she said.

A 17th-century-style buffet and harp concert takes place on Friday October 31 and the following night. Minibus tours, which take in the Eye of God at St Mary's Church, Newchurch, are on the Saturday afternoon.

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