A COUNTRY gent, his collie dog and a young girl with breathing problems - the sort of occupants you might expect to find in any typical Hampshire cottage.

But these uninvited guests are enough to send a shiver down your spine.

They are ghosts that have been spotted in a converted cottage in the New Forest. Myrtle Cottage, opposite The Green at Old Milton, has every appearance of a des res.

But tenants of the upstairs flat, Liz Kenchington and Matthew Cornwall, have noticed some strange phenomena, and downstairs in the Rayment & Butler estate agency there are apparently other visitors.

A spectral collie dog sits under a particular chair in the office, and at the other end of the room the figure of a man has been seen seated in another chair.

The cottage dates back to the mid 17th century and was once a thatched pub called the Rose and Crown, according to Steve Rayment, who owns the estate agency in partnership with Robin Butler. He said: "That might explain the fact that one of the 'regulars', a 'country looking' man in his 40s, still appears to hang around, along with the dog and some farm animals including chickens.

"The building apparently suffered a fire many years ago, and was not re-thatched. The only part of the cottage where I feel uneasy is the loft - I don't like it up there."

More recently Myrtle Cottage has been home to a variety of businesses including a chemist's shop and a hairdressing salon.

Liz and Matthew moved into the upstairs flat in July 2001 and soon started noticing odd things they couldn't explain. They even brought in a team of investigators in a bid to put their minds at rest.

Liz said: "Objects would move with no explanation, and there were cold spots, especially in the bathroom which felt freezing at all times of the year.

"We would catch sight of things near to the ground dashing across the landing, and since the investigation we've been told these are probably small cats and dogs.

"The investigation team found that there is a young girl upstairs who seems to have a respiratory problem, which explains why we sometimes find it difficult to breathe in certain rooms. We think she may have been in our bedroom and unable to leave it."

But far from being frightened, Liz and Matthew do not feel threatened by their apparitions.

Liz said: "I might miss them if they were gone. They have become part of our lives."

Anyone with information about Myrtle Cottage should contact Liz via Rayment & Butler on 01425 613316.