GHOULS, graffiti artists and a rather familiar face feature in our look at bygone pictures of Westhoughton.

A look through our archives produced some unexpected delights and dark tales of ghostly intrigue.

In 1993, a terrified family of five claimed they had been forced from their home by poltergeists.

Baffled council bosses admitted the occupants of the house in Wingates Grove had been the victim of something ‘unexplainable’.

The couple said they and their three children were forced to flee the property after mysterious pools of water started appearing on ceilings and walls and objects started flying around the rooms. They even called in a medium to perform an exorcism.

In 1986, spray painters were granted an amnesty by the town council after decorating the park pavilion.

Town hall chiefs said the clearly-talented artists should channel their efforts in the right direction, and urged the proto-Banksys to contact the authority.

However, the characters they painted were due to be scrubbed off. These were ‘Electra’: A fierce-looking eagle wearing running shoes and ‘Sexy’: A lady of the night complete with fishnets and heels.

Elsewhere the town’s current council leader, Cliff Morris was pictured in 1993. He was getting work underway on The Hoskers football pitches development.