Do ghosts really exist?

Oasis singer Liam Gallagher has supposedly met one, as has Robbie Williams. But yesterday scientists announced the launch of a study to solve of the great eternal mysteries: Do ghosts exist? Researchers led by psychologist, Professor Richard Wiseman of Hertfordshire University asked for members of the public to send in their sightings and photographs of ghosts, ghouls and gremlins. And next month, at The Edinburgh International Science Festival, the experts will reveal whether they believe any genuine ghosts have been uncovered - or whether there is a perfectly logical explanation. Professor Wiseman said: "Around 10 per cent of the population reports experiencing a ghost.

"They are in good company - famous ghost encounters include the Queen who has allegedly seen the ghost of John Brown, Queen Victoria’s servant. Liam Gallagher, Sting, Robbie Williams, Mick Jagger’s daughter Elizabeth, Hugh Grant and Daniel Day Lewis all claim to have seen ghosts. "We know very little about what they have seen and felt, and what lies behind these strange phenomena. “We need as many people to participate as possible, and even want those who have not had a ghostly experience to take part”.

He added: "Are ghosts translucent wailing things with chains or, as I suspect, seen as solid figures which suddenly do something impossible, like walking through a wall?" He added:“About once a month I get sent a fairly good ghost photo where it’s not immediately obvious what’s going on. “Often you might see what looks like a face in semi-darkness but its just a trick of the light. The human brain is hard-wired to see faces, for instance in clouds. That’s because faces are the most important thing we ßcan see around us.

“I’m pretty sceptical, and usually there’s a rational explanation, but it could be that someone out there is sitting on something really interesting.” A number of ghost pictures can already be seen on the site. One shows what appears to be the face of a little girl poking between the legs of a group of friends. It was taken at a house where there have been sightings of a ghostly child aged three or four.

But Professor Wiseman said: “It’s just a very odd configuration of the light. These are always the hardest ones to explain.” Another taken at a castle 22 years ago appears to show the transparent figure of a headless ghost in an army coat standing in front of two children playing on a cannon. Prof Wiseman said: “The person who took it is absolutely convinced that it’s a photo of the headless ghost who walks around the castle walls. Maybe he’s angry with the kids playing around. This one might be a double exposure.”

Celebrities said to have met ghosts include Sir Winston Churchill who "met" Abraham Lincoln at the White House, Liam Gallagher who was "visited" by the ghost of John Lennon and Robbie Williams who saw the ghost of an old woman while staying at Ringo Starr's Los Angeles home. Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day Lewis supposedly saw the ghost of his father while playing Hamlet on stage and the poet Lord Byron saw the ghost of a Black Friar at his family home. Despite 15 years of studying the paranormal Professor Wiseman needs more convincing.