A restaurateur is hoping that paranormal goings on will raise lots of money for a worthy cause.

Farooq Ahmed, owner and head chef of the Tamarind Tree Restaurant in Samlesbury, has organised a psychic night on February 28 in aid of Beach Tree Special School in Bamber Bridge.

But while a psychic night may not be out of the ordinary, some of the things happening at the restaurant certainly are.

Mr Ahmed said: "The building itself is very old and we have been having some ghostly things happening around the place which definitely are not normal.

"It is just small things like certain rooms go cold when you walk into them and we even took some customers who were non-believers and they could feel it.

"The staff also see shadows creeping around and things sound like they are moving in the kitchen.

"We have another restaurant in an old building but we have not seen anything like this there. We had some paranormal investigators in and they confirmed that something is going on."

Farooq, whose second restaurant is in Heywood, near Bury is no stranger to celebrities either, having cooked for, and alongside, some of the hottest names in showbiz.

Not only was he former Coronation Street star Julie Goodyear's personal chef during her four months on Celebrity Fit Club, but he has also cooked for late comic legend Benny Hill and starred alongside celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsay and Anthony Worrall Thompson at food roadshows.

He said: "I have been around for a while so I have cooked for a few celebrities. I have had Gary Neville and a few Premiership footballers in my kitchen learning to cook and I now count Gary as a personal friend.

"After working with Julie, I have also cooked for some other Coronation Street stars including Ken Morley (Reg Holdsworth) and Beverley Callard (Liz McDonald)."

Tickets for the psychic night, which includes a full meal, are priced at £25 each and are available by calling the Tamarind Tree on 877641, Farooq on 07815 185440 or Paul on 07950 589151.