While ghosthunters tiptoed through the corridors of the Old Rectory, the 400-year-old buildings most mischievous spectre - the bottom pinching ghost - was nowhere to be seen.

Despite making itself felt at previous ghost walks, the ghost with the wandering hands stayed away last week.

Residents had donned their glum-rags for the annual Old Rectory ghost walk in Cheam Village hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the houses seven ghosts.

Some of the houses former residents were in attendance unbeknown to the guests.

Ghosts at the Grade II listed building include Bishop Lancelot Andrews who died on September 25 1626.

Mr Andrews was a rector at Cheam and is said to hover around with his legs cut off at the knees.

One former resident of the Old Rectory, Richard Senhouse, preached at the coronation of the King Charles II in 1626.

Current lady of the house Jane Furnival said everyone was in good spirits for the event, even the spirits themselves.

Mrs Furnival said: "The bottom pinching ghost wasn't around, but I definitely got pinched when I was in the basement.

"The evening went very well, we had a lovely group of about 13 who came as a late booking. They were great fun and they all dressed up."

After the guests had gone, one of the psychic mediums who had helped with the evening was asleep, when she was woken by a voice.

Mrs Furnival said: "Tracie said she was woken up by a deep rumbling voice, which welcomed her to her to the ghost's humble abode, before adding, 'well it's not that humble is it.'"

The team were armed with EMF metres, similar to ones used on television programmes like Most Haunted, which measure electronic and magnetic fields and therefore the presence of spirits.