WWW1 soldier ‘appears’ in Leeds shop window

Shopkeeper Alison Lambert, 41, was shocked when she was shown the spooky snap taken of her in front of her Box of Cards business, in Town Street, Farsley, during Farsley Festival earlier this year.

The photograph depicts what appears to be a man wearing First World War uniform holding a picture of nearby Farsley Cenotaph, which was on show as part of a locally-themed window display.

Convinced of its paranormal origin, Rodley resident Alison has researched names on the cenotaph and believes Driver Friend Peel, from 10th Battery 147th Brigade The Royal Field Artillery, is the man on show.

Driver Peel, 26, was killed on May 26 1915 – 98 years later, almost to the day, the picture of Alison was taken.

She told the YEP: “I just went ‘oh my god’. It wasn’t until I blew it up and stood over it that I saw his face.

“I’ve taken pictures in here before and there’s been shadows and stuff but I wouldn’t expect a proper figure like that. It’s just bizarre.”

Alison also claims the shop is already haunted by John and Samuel Hollings, who owned the building when it was a barbers during the 1800s.

She added: “I’m not barmy but when you say something like that to somebody people just look at you like you’ve got a bowl of fruit on your head. I just want to know who he is.”

She is looking to find out where Driver Friend Peel lived and if he had any particular connection to the Box of Cards building.

Local photographer Colin Cook, who runs the Farsley Photos Facebook group and the Restore Old Photos business, took the picture but is sceptical about any paranormal links.

He said: “I take thousands and thousands of photographs around the village and I keep all the photographs and a few that I have taken, you get some odd things that are strange and I think nothing of them but this one I thought, ‘I don’t know what that is’.”