Something spooky's going on!

Despite having been open for only three years, the hotel, a walk-through ghost-train, is believed to have been home to the ghost of a man murdered on the site in 1805-10.

It may now have to be re-named the happy hotel as world-renowned psychic and medium Derek Acorah claims he has moved the ghost on to the next realm, lifting the sombre mood that staff said pervaded there.

The revelation came about last week, when Mr Acorah visited Littlehampton to film the first episode of his new Ghost Towns series that will air on Sky's Living TV in October.

Three other premises, all in Surrey Street, also had their spooky pasts laid bare by Mr Acorah; Quality Textiles owned by Ivor and Yvonne Holland, the Dolphin pub, run by Ellie Boiling and Mulberry Wines, managed by Lyn Dyer.

Dawn Hackett, also a medium, who has worked at Harbour Park for 17 years, said she had seen the ghost there several times.

"He always had a great big hole in his stomach," she said: "Then Derek Acorah said that the man had died after he was murdered by two men who impaled him and had died of a severe stomach injury. "He's gone now, though, because Derek sent him on with his mother who came and fetched him and thanked Derek for his help.

"I've been to the Horror Hotel since and it feels very different in there. There's no weird atmosphere anymore."

Kevin Rober, who directs Harbour Park along with Gary Smart, said: "The Horror Hotel was installed about six years ago and has been the hotel for about three years.

"The spirit that's apparently there is nothing to do with the fact that the building is the Horror Hotel but rather to what has happened there in the past.

"I have never experienced anything in particular apart from the occasional cold chills and things but other members of staff have seen the ghost."