BEING sworn at by a ghost hasn't deterred a woman from hunting for hauntings in the Taunton area.

Christine Thomas claims she was shouted at and told to 'f' off by an angry spirit at Dead Woman's Ditch, on the Quantock Hills.

Christian couple Christine and her husband Dave, who works in the reuse shop at Priorswood Recycling Centre, have had a number of encounters with the spirit world.

At Dead Woman's Ditch, she had picked up a voice on the Quantocks before being rudely told to leave.

She had previously had a voice encounter at a nearby site where Jack Walford had been left in a gibbet for a year after being found guilty of murdering his wife in 1789.

Dave said: "There was another time at the museum in Taunton where we picked up some voices. One of them said, 'He'll boil your heart'.

"Afterwards we found out that Judge Jeffreys used to order people to be hung, drawn and quartered before having their insides boiled. We hadn't known that before.

"A few years ago we were in the old NatWest bank in Taunton.

"While I was upstairs, a woman in black Victorian clothes passed in front of me wife. She was gliding and went out the door.

"My wife followed her, but the woman was nowhere to be seen outside.

"Christine recalled seeing a picture on the wall of the bank, but when she went back it wasn't there. All that was there was a faded mark where she had seen the picture."

Dave and Christine run an organisation called Ghost Hunters South West and are interested in investigating local hauntings.

"There are two types of voices," said Dave.

"There's the residual memories being replayed which people pick up on without being able to communicate with.

"Then there are voices you can interact with, which you can have an exchange with, which can answer questions.

"Not all, but some can be quite nasty, evil spirits."

In line with their religious beliefs, the couple always say protection prayers before trying to track down ghosts.

"There is definitely something there," said Dave.

"My wife has experienced it for a long time. As a child there used to be the sound of a dog in her home.

"The family could hear it running up and down stairs and along the landing, but they never had a dog themselves.

"Not everybody is aware of ghosts. That's because some people have weaker barriers than others and are more likely to come across one."

If you think you have seen or heard a ghost, you can get in contact with Dave via e-mail at contact@ghosthunterssouthwest.co.uk

Here's a taste of some of the people who have passed on their ghostly stories:

"When I was about 17 on my way home from work, driving along a cold road near West Hatch, I saw a bright white figure on the side of the road so I slowed down. It appeared to be a woman completely dressed in white, old-fashioned clothing. I couldn’t take my eyes off as I drove past. I couldn’t bring myself to turn around to have another look. I just drove home in complete shock." (Peter Escott).

"I’ve seen what looks like a tall figure with a long dark coat on outside the pub, on the edge of the road in Kingston St Mary. Checked back and no-one there." (Ashley-Louise Guppy).

"Abbeyfield in Bishop’s Hull, residents in one of the rooms would see a lady in a long gown walking the corridor. Some night staff saw her too. The manor in Bishop’s Hull - many ghostly activity reported in there." (Anon).