Ghost hunters to explore spooky secrets of West Yorkshire's Standedge Tunnel

At more than three-miles long and sitting 640ft under the Pennines, the country’s longest, highest and deepest canal tunnel – which first opened in 1811 – has had its fair share of tales of creepy goings on.

Visitors and staff have noted strange lights, unexplained sounds and even a mysterious robed figure that disappeared into the tunnel itself.

When it was closed in the 1980s, local newspaper reports suggest black magic rituals may have taken place in the tunnel, which stretches from Marsden in West Yorkshire to Diggle in Greater Manchester.

It was claimed workers had found strange wall paintings and severed sheeps’ heads underground.

Now the tunnel’s spooky secrets are to be explored when the historic attraction hosts its very first official paranormal investigation.

The Soul Reaper Paranormal investigations team will visit the tunnel on October 20.

The evening will start with a brief talk on the history of Standedge Tunnel, setting the scene for what promises to be a night full of intrigue.

The team will lead guests into the tunnel’s darkest reaches to conduct a series of investigations.

Soul Reaper Paranormal founder and lead investigator Kyle Thompson said: “It isn’t very often that we work with the general public.

“However, after hearing the many reports of people who claim to have seen and heard strange things at Standedge, it was simply one of the places we decided we had to investigate.”