'Most haunted village' cancels ghost tours after complaints from local church
The ‘most haunted village’ in England has been forced to scrap ghost tours after the local vicar complained about visitors at his church.
Picturesque Prestbury is well known for its ghouls and paranormal disturbances - often described as one of the spookiest places in Britain.
Tales include spurned lovers, phantom horse sounds in the dead of night and chilly breezes at the height of summer.
The most legendary story is of a mysterious figure called the 'Black Abbot' - a hooded figure who endlessly roams the yard at St Mary’s church.
Tourists from far and wide have visited for years to enjoy Cotswold Ghost Tours in the Gloucestershire village.
But the ghoulish group has now been forced to pull the plug on its hour-and-a-half-long trips after concerns from a church based along the route.
Reverend Nick Bromfield said he became fed up with poltergeist punters stopping in the yard of St Mary's Church - sometimes next to brand new tombstones.
He says he even found a hen party on his driveway - and says the ghost tours are not Christian.
The Ghost Tour operator has now accused the vicar of leaving angry voicemail messages - trying to book himself on the tour to 'disrupt' them.
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Rev Bromfield, 59, said: "Frankly, ghost tours have no part in a place of Christian worship and they don't belong in a Christian churchyard.
"We don't want people's stories about ghosts, spectres, poltergeists.
“It is not good for families, nor is it good for the many children we are blessed to welcome every week.
“I was saddened to see our church used as a backdrop to promote ghost tours to children.”
Cotswold Ghost Tours is owned by Mike James, 45 who set up the company four years ago after being approached by the local Women's Institute.
Mr James claimed that Rev Bromfield even left a voicemail indicating he may try and sabotage the tour after the relationship broke down.
The Rev claims the pair had a meeting last year and came to an agreement on the nature and location of the tours.
He said: "We'd had enough. The stories were being delivered in a way that I wasn't comfortable with.
"Without them knowing they would be stood near recent graves - which isn't something a mourning family wants to come across.
"I met with the managing director and we had a good discussion. He agreed that tours would not happen in the churchyard.
"They also agreed to remove some of the more fantastical elements of their stories."
But he claims that some of those terms were broken recently, with photos of the church being used without permission and alleged safeguarding issues spotted.
The reverend said he then tried to get in touch with the company again several times - before hearing that the tours had been cancelled.