Hauntings at a Hyndburn hotel featured on a TV programme about the country’s railways.

The BBC’s Great British Railway Journeys programme, presented by political analyst and former MP Michael Portillo, featured the infamous ghost story of the Dunkenhalgh Hotel.

Visiting the Clayton-le-Moors hotel, Mr Portillo said: “I’m going to alight at the delightfully named Church and Oswaldtwistle.

“The Dunkenhalgh phantom is Lucette, a French woman who took her own life here in the 18th century.

“The ghost is reputed to take its seat on the end of guests’ bed but I hope it won’t be tempted to read me a bedtime story. Incredibly the pale figure of a woman came gliding down my corridor and tapped softly on my door - yes, it was the hotel’s complimentary bed turn-down service.”

Ivan Lynch, general manager of the hotel, said it was good to get the publicity from the programme.

He said: “They came and had a look and discussed the ghost story and the history behind the building and were very keen to do some filming here. They filmed in the Oak Room where there’s a picture of the ghost Lucette and they went through the story.”

The excerpt featured on BBC programme Great British Railway Journeys in which Mr Portillo took a trip from Preston to Rochdale, stopping at Church and Oswaldtwistle and Accrington stations.