Staff at a historic Elgin cinema have complained of far more than just hammers and nails going bump in the night during recent renovations.
The Moray Playhouse is currently being upgraded to create a third screen, but staff and workers have reported feeling they are being watched – even when there is nobody else in the building.
Now bosses are considering hiring professionals to try and prove the cinema, which opened in November 1932, is haunted.
Playhouse manager Martin Thomson said: “It is hard to explain, but when you are in the building by yourself and wandering about, you feel like there is something else there.
“It has always been talked about in hushed voices that the playhouse may be haunted and there is claims of at least one staff member passing away in the building.
“There’s not really been any activity recently, however, since the latest refurbishments started, both staff and contractors have mentioned they have had a feeling of being watched or have heard voices where no-one has been.”
Mr Thomson added that years ago, he saw what he was sure was someone entering the toilets but never coming back out, and that early morning cleaners have frequently spoken of being “a bit freaked out” by the sense of someone walking behind them.
In the latest incident, it is reported that a handbag mysteriously flew from a counter top with no-one near it.
Sara Chiappa, of Caledonia Paranormal Investigation Team, last night said she would consider visiting the cinema to make preliminary inquiries if called upon.
She said: “We are firm believers, but we go into investigations with a level-headed approach. We don’t have psychics in our team.
“During initial investigations, we use recording equipment, cameras and a spirit box, which scans FM frequencies and tries to pick up voices.
“If we get any responses and we do feel there is something we can’t explain, we would maybe investigate further.”
Ms Chiappa added that building work or maintenance regularly stirs ghostly activity.
“Someone wouldn’t necessarily have had to die there for a building to be haunted,” she said.
“It could have been someone who worked there for many years who loved the place.
“Especially in old buildings, when work is being done, resident spirits who may have been dormant and quite happy may become active because they are unhappy about people disrupting their building.
“We would love to find some evidence hat we can show and say, ‘look you can’t argue with this.'”