HAMPSHIRE was home to a host of hauntings and Hallowe'en ghostly goings-on yesterday.

Traffic near Colden Common was brought to a standstill by a headless horseman and an assortment of witches, wizards and skeletons.

The grizzly parade was not the product of a ghostly spell but the fundraising high jinks of the Hampshire Riding Therapy Centre, organised by 14-year-old Victoria Homden.

BBC Radio Solent presenter Mike Powell was forced to admit there are such things as ghosts - after meeting one on a Hallowe'en stake-out.

Mike, who has a Mysteries slot on his Sunday afternoon programme, took a team of ghost-hunters into the bowels of Southampton's historic and haunted Dolphin Hotel.

The team saw mysterious moving white orbs and were approached by a ghostly apparition which they say actually walked through them. The ghost is reckoned to be that of a man called Thomas who once worked in the cellars.

"I've been fascinated by the paranormal for years, but this was the first time I'd ever really seen something - actually in front of my eyes," said Mike.

Beaulieu threw itself into the spirit of Hallowe'en by inviting Living TV's Most Haunted team to host their ghostly show from the site of the ancient Abbey.

Hundreds of fans of the paranormal made up the audience for the live three and a half hour show screened last night, which followed the efforts of celebrity medium Derek Acorah to contact the spirits of Beaulieu's many ghosts.

Built in 1204, Beaulieu Abbey was home to an order of white-robed Cistercian monks up to the time of the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century. There have been dozens of sightings of ghostly monks in the last hundred years.

Back in Southampton, city volunteers staged a hair-raising Hallowe'en party with more than 50 ghoulish guests turning up to the Polygon's Sembal House resource centre for the disabled.

The fancy dress crowd was treated to music, food, dancing and face-painting, as well as a raffle and lucky dip.

Volunteer Wendy Fretton said: "It was terrific fun and a fantastic way to help make a difference in the community.

"Everyone had a great time."