CHISLEHURST Caves, on Old Hill, has long been rumoured to be haunted by a selection of ghosts, writes Neil Arnold.

These range from a woman drowned many years ago in a pool situated deep in the tunnels, to a cavalier, a horse, a woman pushing a pram, a Druid, a spectral imp, and a black dog.

Most of these ghostly tales are unfounded, despite the history of these passageways, which run some twenty or so miles beneath the ground.

More than 15,000 people were stationed in these caves during the Blitz and yet no-one died there, but just like the ghosts of Pluckley, near Ashford, these alleged spooks have become embedded into the fabric of the place and make for perfect stories by the glow of a lantern.

A few decades ago people attempted the Chislehurst Challenge and agreed to spend the night in the pitch black caves, and yet only one man made it through the night, a police officer who claimed that he was in the presence of some unseen entity.

The village of Chislehurst should have ghosts when one considers its Anglo-Saxon origins, and it's no surprise that there are a few haunted pubs dotted about.

The Queens Head in the High Street doesn't look haunted because it has modern furnishings but legend states that many years ago a former customer drowned in the pond nearby when he was turned away by the new landlord at the time for not paying for his drinks.

The Bickley, situated close to the Caves, has long been thought to have been haunted by a woman in white.

In the early '80s the local newspapers had a field day with the rumoured apparition, which according to one report was said to have been the same woman known to haunt the Caves.

The spectre was held responsible for the cold spots within the property and the shadowy figures seen at the corner of the eye.

Room No 2 was said to have been the most haunted part of the pub, which now serves as a restaurant.

But the pub isn't ass haunted as Scadbury Manor, once home to the Walsingham family.

The sound of horses hooves have been heard clattering on a road which no longer exists but despite several ghostly investigations taking place in the grounds, no spirits have reared their misty heads.

Haunted Bromley by Neil Arnold is out now, £9.99.